Sometime Around Midnight
by BeMyEucalyptus
Summary: The New Year should bring renewed hope and life; but Sasuke finds himself returning to a life he left behind. SasuSaku (mentions of ItaSaku). Modern Celebrity AU. Inspired by Sometime Around Midnight by the Airborne Toxic Event.
1. Chapter 1

xxxxx

Sometime Around Midnight

The top of the high rise looked over the city of Tokyo illuminated in the glow of colorful lights and small crowds gathered to welcome the new year together. The notable lack of large celebrations was in stark contrast to the American cities Sasuke had grown accustomed to over the years. Sasuke observed the scene of his childhood home, drowning out the noise of the party raging behind him.

After five years he had finally come back, but still couldn't feel like he had come home. He let out a jaded sigh, turning back to navigate through the crowd of celebrities and other 'elite' members of society, whatever that was supposed to mean. Although many of them were familiar faces, he only cared to see a very small number. Perhaps a party wasn't the best way to reintroduce himself to them, but he hoped the surrounding drama might distract people from the shock of his return. It doesn't take long before one of the people Sasuke was searching for appears in the middle of the crowd, his yellow hair wild and cerulean eyes beaming.

"Oy, Bastard!" Naruto's voice seemed to drown out everything else, and before he knew it, Sasuke was engulfed in a suffocating barrier of his childhood friend. He shouldn't have expected anything less, though, considering he hadn't told his supposed best friend that he would be in attendance tonight. In fact, he hadn't told anyone. He struggled for a moment before finally wrenching himself out of the grip.

"When the hell did you get back to Tokyo?!" Naruto yelled, excitedly grabbing him by the shoulders, his grip far too tight. Sasuke shrugged, talking just loud enough to be heard over the crowd, "A couple of hours ago. I thought I should stop by." Sasuke knew it was an understatement, and he knew Naruto likely knew that as well. Truthfully, he had been debating coming or not for the past month. He still couldn't tell if it was the right decision.

"Yeah, no shit?" Naruto finally began to calm down, turning to look at the large projection of the countdown. "Yo, it's only like 15 minutes until midnight. You gonna be my first kiss again?" He teased, elbowing Sasuke, who quickly shoved his arm back away.

"Shut the fuck up, idiot." Although his face was obviously bothered, the blush on his cheeks reminded Naruto of the old Sasuke. He smiled at the clear look of disgust on his best friend's face before throwing his arm around Sasuke's shoulders.

"Hey, hey, chill. It's a joke!" Sasuke looked unenthused, and the blonde finally got the hint, quickly changing the subject. "Well, hey, I heard you said yes to the role. That the only reason you came back?" Sasuke could hear the question, but in some fucked up kismet moment, someone caught his eyes across the crowd. Although her back was turned, he could never mistake those pink tresses curled in a loose bun on the top of her head. Sasuke froze, taking a moment to calculate how long it must have been since he saw her in the flesh.

' _Sakura..._ '

The sight of a man approaching her interrupted his thoughts. He had placed a heavy hand on her shoulder, and she jumped under his touch. Sasuke quickly recognized the man as her fiancé, the newest update of the starlet's life. His body tensed at the image of him curling a strand of her hand around his finger. His jaw clenched as his eyes followed her lover back to her.

A long white dress adorned with small diamonds clung to her, ending at the middle of her calf. He had seen her in movies, but even the best cameras in the business couldn't capture the true vision that stood before him. The light reflected off of the stones of her dress, creating an illusion of beaming light around her. She looked just like a star.

Her finely toned legs led to her filled out hips, and he wondered when exactly she turned from the woman he knew to the one in front of him now. He traced the silhouette of her curves back to her face, only to notice that she was turned toward him, her eyes locked onto his. She had a small smirk on her face, leaning back against the bar as she took a sip out of her drink. Her fiancé was nowhere to be found.

"Bastard! Hey!" Sasuke was jolted back to his immediate surroundings, turning to look back to Naruto, who was now frowning. "I said, if you're so desperate to drink, let's just go over there!" Sasuke nodded in agreement, although inside his stomach had formed complex, nervous knots at the thought of facing her so soon. What was he supposed to say to her? Would she even want to see him? The last time they talked was...

He turned to look at her once more, but when they started to approach the bar he couldn't find her anywhere. As he followed Naruto through the crowd he quickly pulled out his phone, sending a quick message to his brother.

[ **11:49** ] I didn't know she was supposed to be here?

Within seconds, his phone buzzed with a reply.

[ **11:49** ] Sakura's there?

Sasuke rolled his eyes, not even bothering to dignify the message with a response. Who else would he be talking about? He shoved his phone back in his pocket, only to feel it buzz a couple seconds later. As he arrived at the bar, he pulled it back out, realizing it would be the easiest solution to the problem. If he didn't at least read the messages, he would never hear the end of it.

[ **11:50** ] Don't talk to her.

"Tch." He muttered, shoving his phone in the pocket more forcefully this time. Itachi could complain about it later. He grabbed the drink off the bar that Naruto had ordered him, but a stranger to Sasuke instantly preoccupied the blonde. Not caring about the conversation, Sasuke settled against the bar and began to scan the crowd for another sight of pink hair. But surrounding him was just a sea of faces he couldn't place.

' _Has it really been this long?_ '

Sasuke could feel his phone buzzing in his pocket every few moments, but didn't care to listen to his brother's incessant nagging. He was an adult, and no matter how much he respected his brother, he was going to do whatever the hell he wanted. Although, he had to agree that Itachi usually steered him in the right direction. And it's not like Itachi is only doing it for Sasuke's sake. He wouldn't blame Sakura for not wanting to talk to him, either. He knew the two had becomes friends since he left. But just as the thought crossed his mind, the whispers of jealousy of his older brother poisoned any loyalty he felt to him.

He sighed, realizing that he was acting like a petulant child, but was still unable to shake the annoyance. Fuck what Itachi thought was best for them, he didn't know anything about what they had. He had to see her.

He closes his eyes, downing his drink, barely noticing the burn in his throat. In fact, he couldn't even smell the abrasive scent of ethanol. Suddenly all he could smell was the soft floral scent of… something familiar? He couldn't distinguish the emotions stirring inside him, some kind of oxymoronic feeling of comfort and anxiety; a distant whisper of the past. He opened his eyes when he heard a small giggle next to him, and there she was.

Sakura stood inches from him, her warmth detectable through the chilly night. His breath caught in his throat, and it took everything in him not to flinch away from her.

"Hey, Sasuke." Nothing about her seemed even slightly nervous, both of her hands gently wrapped around the martini glass in front of her as she leaned forward onto the bar he leaned back against. She had a calm smile as she continued, "How have you been?" She was not looking at him as she spoke, looking straight forward, distracted. Her hair has started to fall from her bun, perhaps intentionally, but he fights the urge to tuck the loose strands behind her ear like he used to. The vision of her sleeping figure curled up in his bed invaded his thoughts, and he wondered if her fiancé also liked to watch her sleep. After a moment, he notices she's still waiting for his answer, and finally replies softly, "Fine."

She laughs lightly at his response, trying to pull herself back up to a standing position, and he notices from the way she almost spills her drink that she must have had more than a few drinks tonight. Now that he thinks about it, her cheeks were flushed and she moved less fluid than usual. He had heard from Itachi that she was doing 'better' but then again he never really knew the depth of her status. What, exactly, was better?

She notices him staring again, and thankfully she just smiles, turning her attention back to the crowd as she turned around. They watch the pulsing movement of the party together in silence for a moment before she speaks up once more.

"So… A little birdie told me you accepted the contract. You're moving back to Tokyo?" For some reason, this casual conversation felt wrong. He couldn't place why, but his anger began to build at her, and he snapped back, "How's the wedding plans?"

He immediately regret his tone, as her smile turned to a frown. It was the first shift he saw her in mood—for a brief second rage flashed across her features. But after that, she settled into an apparent apathy, muttering "Fine," before finishing her drink and grabbing another prepared one off the bar.

Before she even started the drink she placed it back on the bar, turning towards Sasuke and placing her hand on his arm. The warmth of her felt like fire through his jacket. She stumbled more, and he inwardly cursed. How did he not notice how drunk she was? _Buzz._ Itachi was right. _Buzz._ This was a bad idea.

Sakura placed her other free hand on his cheek, turning his attention directly into those endless green pools. ' _God, she is so fucking beautiful_ ,' he thinks before he can stop himself. Her words are starting to slur but he can see them on her mouth, "I don't want you to be a stranger." He nodded.

"You'll always be so important to me, Sasuke." She seemed insistent, and he felt guilty for not wanting to reject her touch. He knew he shouldn't give her any ideas or hope, but the contact warmed more than his face. He could feel his heart pounding against his ribs, and he wondered why she still commanded it so well.

"I wasn't planning on it." Sakura seemed disappointed by the short response, as if she could feel the dishonesty in his words. It was only the second time this night she wasn't smiling, and for a moment he was overcome with guilt. He wanted her to smile again. He was tired of being the reason she stopped smiling.

"Yo! Sakura!" Naruto's voice and body crashed next to them, and Sakura quickly began to beam again, spinning to greet their friend. Her hand remained on Sasuke's arm, and he thought he should shake it off but couldn't bring himself to move. "You look like you're enjoying yourself? I haven't seen you in forever!"

Sasuke suddenly turned his attention to their conversation—He hadn't seen her? They lived barely a block apart. Was he being hyperbolic? That didn't seem too far off for him. Sakura fervently nodded, "I'm having the _best_ time with us all together again!"

Her laughter filled the air as she removed her hand only to snake her entire arm around his, leaning into him. Although he knew he should push her away, he convinced himself that he couldn't embarrass her in front of the crowd. It had nothing to do with the way her scent calmed him, or the way her laughter hummed through her and made him feel something. He was simply trying not to be selfish, not at all because he was _drowning_ in the feel of her.

Suddenly the crowd erupted in a chant, "Ten!" Ten seconds to midnight. Sakura's grip tightened and she spun to face him. "Nine!" He reached his free arm over to catch her from stumbling, and he blamed a distant muscle memory for resting his hand against her hip.

"Eight!" The world was quickly melting around him, his hands buzzing from the contact and his heart beating against his chest. "Seven!" She was staring right into his eyes, her hand coming up to rest over his heart, where she could surely feel it quicken.

"Six!" He let his hand fall as he tried to push back the desire to stay exactly where they were. He knew he should be panicking, but everything felt so perfectly fine.

"Five!"

 _Wait, five?_ He turned to the clock, not believing it was already almost midnight. _Wait, is that-?_ At some point Naruto had joined the party, his arm thrown over Sasuke's shoulders. His phone was out, facing the three of them.

"Four!" Sakura's chest suddenly pressed against him, and he turned back to her, letting his anxiety melt into the memories just like this. "Three!"

Five years had passed but she still looked the same. She still made his heart stop and beat faster at the same time. She could still take the breath out of his lungs, filling them with the calming scent of her. "Two!"

His arm tightened around hers, encouraging her to come closer. All doubts and hesitancy be damned. Her loose hair tickled his neck, her breath hot against his jaw.

"One!"

Wait, was she going to actually kiss him? Before he could protest he started to turn his face towards her, but her lips pressed softly against his cheek. He felt his face flush and he couldn't help the small grin that tugged at his lips.

"Happy New Year!"

The confetti rained across the crowd, but all he could focus on was the shaky breath that smelled of gin quickly receding. The studded fabric of Sakura's dress began to slip from his hands. He went to grab her arm but couldn't quite catch her in the movement, his voice weakly calling for her, but he couldn't be heard over the crowd. She darted around him, wrapping both arms around Naruto's neck, planting a big kiss on his cheek. Sasuke didn't know how to feel about it, and so he just stared at the scene quickly unraveling before him.

"It's so great to have you both here again." She sighed, and pulled back to be standing in an equal, appropriate distance. Sasuke's heart was practically punching him in the chest, and some part of him was upset that she could be so casual. What happened to the wrecked fangirl who fawned over him?

"You know… You can have me anytime, Sakura!" Naruto joked, and it didn't take long before Sakura punched him straight in the chest in a way that bordered a joke and a serious attempt to hurt the idiot. She turned back to Sasuke, and he swore if he blinked he would have missed the quick wink she gave him before gracefully whisking the blonde away in locked arms.

A strange sort of hurt pride and anger swelled in him, and he took a step to follow her, ask her what the hell she was doing. Why did she think she could act like nothing happened? Why was she being so casual and confusing? What the hell had happened? Surely thing haven't changed this much. Right? Before he could lift his other foot he felt one long buzz from his pocket, indicating missed messages.

[ **11:55** ] Sasuke, leave her alone.  
[ **11:56** ] What are you doing?  
[ **11:57** ] Little brother.  
[ **11:58** ] Dammit, Sasuke!  
[ **11:59** ] I'm on my way.

Even further frustrated that flip phones didn't exist anymore and therefore he couldn't slam it shut, he shoved the phone back in his pocket. He took the first drink he could find on the bar and downed the entire thing in one go. The harder he tried not to focus on what just happened, the more invasive the thoughts became.

When did Sakura change into this? Surely, she cannot be that different. Was she always like this? When did he become just like everyone else? ' _When I left her._ ' The voice inside his head crept into the line of questioning. How could he blame her for treating him like this? She was the one who wanted him to stay. He was the one who didn't.

He ran a hand through his hair, noticing that he was practically hyperventilating. He grabbed another drink, and the bartender gave him a cautious stare before being frightened off by the cold look Sasuke gave. He tried to find something to distract him from the way her perfume seemed to stick to everything and the burning on his cheek.

But no matter how many old coworkers and acquaintances he found in the crowd, he couldn't find anything even remotely as exciting as the moment he saw her. In every conversation, he found his eyes wandering in the crowd for any sign of pink. As he scanned the women around him, he barely noticed the person he was talking to shuffling off. The familiar buzz of his phone grounded him again.

[ **12:15** ] Seriously? What the fuck?

And the second he opened the text, his heart sank and surged at the same time. It was the reason Naruto's phone had been out at midnight. Pictured was him, Naruto, and that damned woman, embracing each other as her lips were anchored to his cheek. It was a screenshot from his social media feed, captioned, "Finally got the gang back together!"

The first glance was a mixture of anxiety and… Relief? Happiness? The moment had been captured; he hadn't made it all up. That she really was that close, that she existed and this entire night wasn't a product of some fucked up, drunken mess.

Sasuke was drawn to the look on his face, a comfortable flush with red in their faces. If he didn't know any better, he'd think they were happy to be together again. But the longer the stared the more he was forced to remember. Him and Sakura hadn't been together for years. The last photo of them together was when he left. Him and Sakura weren't together anymore. He was alone. She wasn't.

… And now he had to explain this photo, which shows the exact opposite of reality. He was barely happy to see her, and he definitely wasn't happy she kissed him.

Right?

It was so hard to think when he was getting progressively drunker. It wasn't until after he downed another drink that he realized he had picked it up. He should really stop, but his phone started buzzing again. He jutted the drink into a server's face and onto their tray before grabbing his phone, fully ready to call Itachi and tell him to _shut the fuck up_. But when the screen lit up again, it was an unfamiliar number.

[ **12:16]** Hey come meet me in the sunroom by the garden.  
[ **12:16** ] It's Sakura btw

Sasuke stared at the screen for an uncomfortable length of time, trying to decide if this was all an elaborate ruse, or if he was making it all up. Was this really her? But then again, who else would bother? It definitely wasn't Naruto. Then it occurred to him that she didn't have his number. He switched numbers last time she...

He looked around at the crowd, particularly trying to get sights on the entrance. Itachi should be here any moment now, but Sasuke quickly shook that thought off. Fuck his brother, he can make his own decisions. He tapped his foot impatiently on the ground before finally managing to move his fingers to formulate a reply.

[ **12:17** ] How did you get my number?

[ **12:17** ] I'm a crazy stalker.  
[ **12:17** ] I'm kidding. I got it from Naruto's phone when I tried to delete that picture.  
[ **12:17** ] … I guess those two things aren't mutually exclusive.  
[ **12:18** ] Listen, Sasuke, I just need to talk to you…  
[ **12:18** ] Please?

He had to laugh at the fact she still loved the rapid-succession messaging. The brief smile on his face was enough motivation to push off from the bar, dodging through the crowd of people to get to the entrance to the small building jutting off the garden.

As he went to grab the doorknob, the door was quickly opened and her tiny hand took his, pulling him in and shutting the door swiftly behind him. The first thing he notices is the way she's holding her shoes, which she gently places on the counter a few feet away.

"Sakura…" He mumbles, determined to tell her this is all a horrible mistake, but then she turns around, and he sees the light redness around her eyes. ' _Was she… crying?'_

Sakura can see his confusion and discomfort clearly, and so she tries to smile, but it's so obviously fake it almost makes things worse. Noticing this, she lets her smile fall, but doesn't make any move closer to him. Her body was shivering, and he wondered if it was just due to the temperature and her terrible, _beautiful_ choice of dress, or something else. Her voice, sounding surprisingly sober, breaks the silence.

"Would you still want me, Sasuke?"

The question sets him off, and his face immediately contorts to annoyance.

"Tch. I'm not doing this with you, Sakura." This was the kind of welcoming he had suspected, and it's exactly the one he didn't want to deal with. He _couldn't_ deal with it, especially with both of them being drunk. But Sakura became more urgent; finally taking a step forward and shouting, "Just answer the question!"

His hand shot out, grabbing her left one and pulling her towards him forcefully. Her face was tilted up to him, their eyes locked in a terrible stare as he yelled back, "Here's a question, Sakura, where's your ring?" After the moment passed he realized that might have been a mistake, as she ripped her arm back from him without backing up.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, so don't you dare judge me. I'm not the same girl you knew back then, Sasuke. You barely know me."

"Yeah, you don't say."

When he met her eyes he barely noticed her lip trembling, her clenched fists, and the way the liquid pooled in her eyes. "I made a mistake, okay?" The tears started falling in full, and her shoulders fell forward, and it was the most real he had seen her all night.

"He just… He's not the man I thought he was." Her body trembled harder as she crumpled in on herself like a dying flower. ' _Fuck, and she's crying again_.' He could barely keep the thoughts straight as he tried to connect the conversation. He had just seen the two of them together not that long ago. What happened?

Sasuke suddenly remembered that those stupid tabloids always made everything picture perfect, and in his jealousy he forgot it's almost never that simple. And now he had clearly just ripped off a bandage of a wound he didn't know the severity of.

She was right. He didn't know what he was talking about. But she was wrong that he didn't know her. If there was anyone in this world that Sasuke knew, it was Sakura. No distance of time nor space would change that. He felt his guts twist into knots as he tried to find some way to undo the damage he had done yet again.

Sasuke cupped her face gently in his hand, wiping away the tears while turning her to look at him. "Sakura, stop... I-" Her bright green eyes were only brighter against the red halo from her tears. He wished more than anything his pride would let him admit the truth.

' _I have never stopped wanting you_.'

"You had nothing to do with why I left." She choked on a chuckle as he spoke, and he knew that saying she had nothing to do with his decisions might have been a little insulting to the girl who devoted so much of her time to helping him. He continued softly, continuing to wipe any resulting moisture from her cheeks.

"There is nothing wrong with you, Sakura." For a moment, he wondered if he had still said the wrong thing. But, at least this time he knew with full certainty what he said was the truth. Sakura could be irritating, abrasive, and _annoying_ , but in the end her heart was the purest he'd ever seen.

When Sakura Haruno loved you, she loved you unconditionally and with reckless abandon. His eyes softened when she looked up at him and smiled, leaning into one of his hands on her face as she hums contentedly. He wondered how someone could hurt such a heart, but stared at his reflection in those crying eyes and realized he knew the answer already.

His voice was suddenly rough as he quietly asked, "Is your fiancé coming to take you home?" He didn't mean to break the mood, but this was the most drunk he'd ever seen her, and he's be damned if he didn't make sure she was safe. He knew that it was still a risk, having not known the true reason behind Sakura's tears, but he also knew that taking her home with him would be nothing but painful for everyone.

Sakura shook her head no, her smile faltering only for a moment. "No, I'm not going home tonight." He nodded slightly, afraid to ask what that meant, and she reached out to touch his face as well, effectively cutting off that thought.

"I missed you, Sasuke." And when she says it, he can't help but feel it in the very core of his being. He wanted to open his mouth to say anything contrary, but he was too scared that if he did, he might tell her he missed her, too. He missed her so much more than he thought possible.

He kept one of his hands on her face, and she stared up at him with those emerald eyes sparkling with the reflection of her dress. His other hand slid down her arm, finding its purchase on her hip for the second time that night. His face slipped down to her painted lips, and wondered how many kisses it would take for it to wear off.

Sasuke never claimed he was a perfect man.

So when Sakura stood up on her tiptoes and pressed those soft lips against his, he didn't resist. His body buzzed with an energy he had almost forgotten. It was as if she were pouring five years of repressed feelings into this one moment. He closed his eyes, allowing the scent of her perfume fill his lungs as her arms snaked around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her erratic heart was beating against his, and he swore they were in perfect harmony.

When they parted to breathe, all he could taste was her gin soaked lips, and he couldn't help but wonder if he could literally get drunk from her. Her forehead was pressed against his when she finally opened her eyes, and he realized what had happened. The absence of her lips for that one moment rocketed him back to reality, and Sasuke knew it had already gone too far. Itachi was right.

Fuck.

"Sakura…" Sasuke whispered, and another fake smile spread across her face, as if she knew exactly what he was about to say. He **hated** that smile. But she softly whispered back, "I know."

They sat in silence for a moment in each other's arms, not wanting to shatter the moment any further. It took all of Sasuke's strength to not tighten his grip on her, to tell her to stay with him here. He wanted to tell her that _he_ was the one who made a mistake. He wanted to hold her while she cried about the things he made her endure. He wanted to apologize for every night she spent alone. But his throat was dry and his head spun from the alcohol. They stayed silent and frozen, trying to come up with the words to help salvage this night, but nothing came. The silence was broken by an unfamiliar ring tone.

"Oh, shit!" Sakura blurted out, springing away from him and grabbing her shoes, trying to fasten them as she stood. Sasuke was taken aback by the abrupt change in demeanor, and so much of him wondered who the hell could rip her from him like that.

"I-I'm sorry, I have to go. S-someone has been waiting for me." Sakura stuttered, frantically grabbed her purse off the table.

Sasuke could feel the objection in his throat. He wanted to stop her and demand to know who was waiting for her. He wanted to know who it was that replaced not only him, but her fiancé. But he knew he couldn't. He wasn't part of her life anymore. The past few moments were nothing but a mistake.

He knows it's for the best, anyway. She was not going home with her fiancé, and nothing he did would make her life better. He should just leave her alone. Besides, he was still waiting for Itachi to come drag him from the party by the cuffs on his shirts. He groaned internally at trying to explain the mess of this entire night. But one thing was certain: Itachi could never know about _this_.

"Hello~" Sakura's voice chimed, and he realized she had answered the phone. He heard a man's distant voice talking on the other end. "I'm sorry!" She said while laughing, finally calming down the stumbling and trying not to slur her words.

"You're so paranoid. I'll be down in a minute… Yes, less than a minute. Yes. Yes, I promise." She promptly hung up, seeming to be in a much better mood than even a minute prior. It's in that moment that Sasuke actually notices how much better she seems to be without him. Just a moment away from his exposure and she is back to normal.

He should have never come back.

She approaches him cautiously, and then embraces him in a big hug, burying her face into his chest. Sasuke does not resist, welcoming her embrace as he wondered if he would ever be able to hold her like this again.

He rests his chin against her hair, and the way she smells and clings to him awakens the old memories. The way her bare skin felt against his fingers as he traced circles across her back. He can draw the curve of her body as they wrap around each other, kissing the air from each other's lungs. He remembered the way she looked when she told him she loved him. He thought of the vulnerable, not-so-innocent part of her that only he got to see. It wasn't his anymore.

As he let out a shaky sigh, he let his feels overcome the logical side of him that knew this was a terrible idea.

' _Sakura..._ ' He wonders, ' _Would you still want me?_ '

He hugs her back, a bit too tight. Sakura is the one to break the embrace, and with a final glance she slips from his grasp, and she is gone. Again.

Once he finally built up the courage to leave the empty sunroom, Sasuke took a deep breath of the cold winter air. He tried to settle back into the much rowdier rooftop, but within moments Naruto was grabbing him by the shoulder.

"Hey! You didn't tell me Itachi was coming!" He ungracefully pointed across the crowd where Sasuke spotted his damned brother's back. Itachi had his hand comfortably draped around her waist, leading Sakura gently to the edit.

"Yeah." Sasuke answered, trying to swallow any obvious emotions he had about the scene unfolding before him. Of course she was leaving with _him_. Itachi couldn't ever leave things alone. He had to touch, _ruin_ , every fucking part of his life.

"He's not staying long, obviously." He tried to suppress the glare burning into the weasel's back, but the drinks got the better of him. He was suddenly glad he wasn't holding anything; convinced his grip would have shattered it. The only thing that broke his gaze on the now empty exit door was Naruto's suddenly, uncharacteristically concerned tone.

"Well, I'm glad he came and got her. You know, considering everything." Sasuke raised his eyebrow, suddenly intrigued as to what he did not, in fact, know. Naruto's genuine concern and purposeful vagueness was even more unsettling.

"What do you mean?" Part of him became irrationally paranoid that he might have discovered what had just happened in the sunroom. Was he just talking about how drunk Sakura obviously was? The picture? Was there something else going on? He knew her and Itachi were friends but had something else happened between them? He rejected the thought immediately.

He tried to read his friend, but unfortunately Naruto only waved a hand, not indulging him any further. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. We can party without her! The night is still young! Let's go!" Sasuke sighed, the idea seeming more and more repulsive by the minute. But he also knew there was nothing else for him to do tonight, so he might as well stay and have a few more drinks with, very possibly, the only friend he had left in Tokyo.

But not even an hour later, Sasuke felt like he was being suffocated by unwanted memories and emotions. Naruto was drunkenly capturing the attention of everyone around them, and while that was usually enough to keep him somewhat entertained, he found himself scrolling mindlessly through his phone. He wanted some kind of buffer between him and the real world. He knew it would be nothing but trouble, but at least he didn't have to deal with most of this trouble.

He had gotten hundreds of notifications immediately after the picture had been posted, and even a few in-person comments. Luckily for him, however, it seemed people were still quite scared of him. Just a few seconds of silence and they were more than happy to drop the subject.

But online was another story. He knew him and Sakura had quite a following, even now. But he also knew that after they had broken up Sakura had... lost, for a lack of a better word. He figured as time passed, people would leave her alone. He was wrong. There were dozens of recent comments, all with the same questions. The further he scrolled, the more heated his blood became.

" _What a whore_."

" _What about the wedding?_ "

" _Not surprising. She's always been obsessed with him._ "

" _I wonder if the rumors are true then?_ "

" _What, did she get bored with his brother?_ "

He had promised himself he would only stop to look at the comments on the original picture, but he could barely stop his thumb from hovering over her username. He hesitated, as if he were begging his treacherous finger not to move.

But it did not listen, and soon enough he was staring at a screen of dozens of selfies and well manicured photos. He noticed she had been in several photos throughout the party, and he swiped between them to see her cheeks getting increasingly flushed, and her eyes further glassed over.

' _Sakura... What are you trying to drink away?_ '

"Eh, what are you looking at those for?" It was Naruto who eventually broke his concentration, the blonde leaning far too close to Sasuke's phone.

"Tch, did you already forget?" He muttered back, quickly switching to the photo the blonde had posted earlier. Naruto suddenly realized the problems the picture would cause and gave a nervous laugh, scratching his head.

"Well, to be honest I didn't think about it like that!" Sasuke only rolled his eyes. Naruto, suddenly guilty, continued to whine. "I was just so happy we were all together again! And to be honest, that drama stuff went way over my head anyw-."

"I'm leaving." Sasuke interrupted, deciding there was no point in continuing this conversation. Naruto could say he didn't get the drama all he wanted, but it wasn't going to undo it all now. But before he could leave, Naruto grabbed his arm, a bit too forcefully.

"Honestly Sasuke... I think you should stay." It almost sounded like a demand. Sasuke had to bite his tongue to stop him from telling off his best friend. He was tired of people making his decisions for him. "I'm going to talk to her."

"That's... Not a good idea, Sasuke." The previously playful blue eyes narrowed into a threatening stare.

"Yeah, well, that's what I'm known for." Sasuke spat back at Naruto, refusing to be chastised over something so simple as a conversation. Besides—Who was Naruto to talk? He knew nothing about what had transpired just an hour ago. And honestly, if he didn't want him to talk to Sakura, he shouldn't have roped him into the same petty bullshit as before. He didn't turn back to see Naruto's disapproving stare, but he felt it boring into his back the entire way out.

But unfortunately Sasuke's spite only got him so far. He cursed quietly to himself when he finally got to his car. Unable to even appropriately click the unlock button, he immediately realized he was way too drunk to ever make it home in one piece. But he still refused to take this as the universe telling him talking to Sakura was a _very_ bad idea. Not really sure what he was going to do yet, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed without another thought.

"Hello?" Itachi's voice came through the other side. The memories of the earlier unanswered messages and Sakura's exit from the party flooded back. Sasuke's jaw clenched at the sound, and he immediately yelled back, "What the fuck do you want me to do, Itachi? What do you want from me?"

There was a long pause, silence filling the night around him. He opened his mouth to continue yelling, but Itachi's calm voice interrupted him. "You're drunk. Talk to me in the morning when you're done being a fucking idiot."

"What the fuck are you even mad about? She's not a child and she's not your... S-She can make her own goddamn decisions!" He could feel his words slurring together, and his mind was spinning at an unsettling speed. Truthfully, he knew what he was saying was so jumbled and incoherent it barely made sense. He was really just playing into his brother's predictions. His free hand balled into a fist as he leaned forward against his car. When he was about to hang up, sure that his brother was going to do it first, Itachi spoke again.

"You don't even know her."

Sasuke's blood was boiling, his body shaking as he tried not to lose it completely. Sakura had said the same thing. But it was bullshit. It was utter bullshit. He knew Sakura better than he knew himself. He may be behind in the recent events, but if he could just talk to her it would be okay again.

Right?

Itachi was acting like this wasn't the girl who had been his first of everything. Everything they were today was a result of what they built together. Sakura had once been his entire world, his purpose for everything. She was even the reason he had...

 _Left her_. The pain in his chest was unbearable as the memories crashed down onto him. He left her. _He_ left _her_. She wasn't supposed to forget him so easily. He raised his fist, slamming it down on the car as he yelled.

"She was mine first!"

Suddenly, a soft laughter filled the silence on the other end of the phone. His eyes widened as he recognized the sound. He could hear her smile through the phone, and it only made the fury and pain inside him worse. She wasn't crying anymore, no thanks to him. He wanted to reach through the phone and grab her, take her back to him, where she should be.

Itachi's words bounced around in his head, ' _You don't even know her._ '

"…Goodnight, Sasuke." Was the last thing Sasuke heard before the dial tone, and without much thought he reared his foot back, kicking the car in front of him with a shout. The alarm started to blare, and the couple of passersby turned to look at him. He managed to move enough to turn off the alarm, pushing himself away from the car and starting to stumble into the direction of his old home.

After getting about a mile away, he dials the number of his driver that he had kept in the event he would need it following the party. When he got off the phone, he found a small park bench and finally took a moment to breathe.

The air was cold, stale and somehow comforting. The way the air burned his lungs meant that he could still feel something besides anger, and for that he wasn't entirely grateful. He looked at all of the people walking happily around the city on this holiday, wishing that he could be more like them. Wishing he could go back in time and never go to that stupid fucking party.

He listens to the cheers of music among the normal city noise, and he closes his eyes. It takes him a moment to realize his phone is buzzing, and he pulls it out expecting it to be his driver, only to be surprised when it's a text from the same unfamiliar number. Hesitantly, he opens it.

[ **1:32** ] I'm sorry.

He stared at the text, feeling anger and something else he couldn't quite name when another came through.

[ **1:33** ] Happy New Year, Sasuke.

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : Hello lovely readers! Happy New Year!

This is the modern celebrity AU I have been thinking of for over a year now. I thought this was a fitting day to release it. This is written in a way it can exist on it's own. If I do decided to publish the rest, I will warn you now it is written in mostly flashbacks. It involves ItaSaku, SasuSaku (as endgame), and other ships I cannot name for spoilery reasons. The characters are unabashedly, at times, OOC. This story has a lot of inspiration from my own experiences, and the reasons why I relate so much to Sakura in the first place.

If you enjoyed this story and want some of your questions answered through more chapters, please let me know!


	2. Chapter 2

x-x-x-x-x-x

Sometime Around Midnight

Chapter 2

Sasuke groaned as he finally opened his eyes, fully objecting to the sunlight filtering through his window. His head throbbed with the mistakes of last night, and for a moment he forgot he was even back in Tokyo. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, wishing he could go back to the simplicity of being an ocean away.

His heart immediately began to race as he caught a whiff of a familiar smell, as if it had been burned onto his skin; that faint peach magnolia blossom scent that he had come to associate with comfort itself. He pulled his hand back, looking at it with wide eyes. ' _Sakura..._ '

He couldn't stop the memories from rushing back all at once. The way her tears felt rolling over his fingers. The sound of her voice when she told him that she missed him. The way her lips felt on his, and how he would definitely never be able to drink gin again without her.

He suddenly couldn't resist the urge to shower, to scrub every remnant she left on him off of his skin. He wouldn't do this again. He _couldn't_ do this again. She seemed so much happier without him. Why did she have to talk to him? Why did he accept this contract? Why did he think it would be different?

' _What is_ _wrong_ _with me?_ '

The most frustrating part of this entire situation is the burning sensation that he shouldn't be mad about it at all. He made a choice, and he promised himself he wouldn't regret it. This industry is not for the weak of heart, and there are always sacrifices to be made. If Sakura chose to cling to the past, that wasn't his problem. She acted like she was the only one who had changed.

Sasuke sat up, biting back the feel of bile in his throat as he looked down at his phone. It didn't much help that he had fallen asleep staring at the messages she had sent him. It was like she was mocking him. He tried not to throw his phone, deciding instead to do what he needed to. After he composed himself with a shower, he was going to talk to Itachi.

* * *

( _8 years earlier_ )

 _Sakura sighed as she stared off into space. Yet another boring day at the tiny little private school her parents had insisted she go to. It would be a waste, they said, for someone so promising to be stuck bored out of her mind in public school. But Sakura also knew that without any exposure to the "real world" she would never get a chance to grow._

 _She looked at the school and saw what it was; a manicured garden of clipped flowers. She wondered what it would be like to grow without being told how to do it._

 _She turned to look out the window, hoping to see trees. But instead all she saw were more buildings and concrete. She huffed, barely paying attention to the lesson in front of her. Honestly, she was still bored out of her mind. But when she hears the teacher call on another student, she sits straight up, looking over to the boy a few seats away from her._

 _"Sasuke," the teacher paused, obviously expecting an answer. Sakura was immediately sucked into yet another daydream about the raven haired boy when he finally spoke. She couldn't help it; he was the smartest, cutest boy at the school! How she wished she could actually work up the nerve to speak to him._

 _Would he even recognize her? Sakura knew she wasn't the prettiest girl in the school, and really she paled in comparison. How was she expected to go up against actual child models? She never stood a chance. She didn't even notice Sasuke had given the correct answer until the teacher returned to lecture._

 _Having the itching feeling of being watched, Sasuke turned to look at her. Shocked and embarrassed, she recoiled, turning back to face the front with her now beet shaded cheeks. She didn't dare look back, even though she knew he was now staring at her._

 _She sighed in relief as the bell rang and Sasuke quickly stood, leaving the classroom before the bell even finished ringing. She dropped her face down onto the desk in front of her, wondering how she always managed to embarrass herself around him when they've never even spoke. But Sakura didn't let herself dwell on the thought, and stood up with a renewed vigor._

 _"One day..." She whispered to herself._

 _'You'll know who I am!'_

* * *

The loud whistle from the tea kettle sounded in the kitchen and Itachi took a moment to stand up and tend to it, his thoughts still distracted with the inevitable conversation he would have with his brother.

Sasuke had always been the "problem" child in his family, although he couldn't blame him entirely for that. Although he was always impressed at how his little brother was able to cause problems for him every day, even from across an ocean.

But of course, now he was back. And things would only get vastly more complicated from here on. And only half of those problems were with the girl in his guest room right now. Although, the other half he supposed were very closely related.

He lazily poured himself a cup of tea and headed back to the table, placing it down to cool while he leaned back in his chair. He wondered how long it would take Sasuke to come, or if he would choose the coward's route and just call him again.

He ran his hand through his loose hair, silently hoping he wouldn't show up for awhile, if at all. Sakura hadn't exactly had the best experience last night, and he still needed to figure out exactly what happened if he was going to be able to undo any of the damage.

He heard the shower switch off in the other room and he shot a glance over his shoulder, wondering how long it would take Sakura to run off like she always did. She always bolted when she did something she wasn't supposed to, and he chuckled to himself as he wondered when he became her goddamn therapist.

But it only took a second for him to feel guilty for the thought, remembering how much worse it could be. Knowing where she was and that she was safe and comfortable was more than worth it. There were many nights in the past few years when he would have given anything for that seemingly small comfort.

He picked up the cup in front of him, slowly blowing on it before bringing it to his lips, just in time for him to hear a banging on his door.

" _Shit_." He muttered, standing up quickly, but without actually moving to answer the door. He looked back down the hallway again, wondering if it was possible to get Sasuke in and out before he ever noticed she was there. Considering she normally took ages to get ready, he silently hoped that would be the case. Especially since he was sure she wouldn't want to go home yet... Considering who would be waiting for her there.

Sasuke's banging became more insistent, and Itachi finally decided to answer it. He leaned against the doorframe, blocking the entrance as he stared down at his little brother. For a moment Sasuke acted as if he would barrel through Itachi, but he stopped.

"Tch, you're not gonna yell at me out here, are you?" Itachi closed his eyes for a moment, trying not to get annoyed immediately.

"It's nice to see you too, little brother. It's been awhile." He stepped out of the way, heading back into the kitchen. Sasuke walked past him, going to sit down at the table next to the seat his brother obviously occupied.

"Tea?" Itachi called over, and Sasuke grumbled an affirmative answer, hearing Itachi already pouring the drink. When he finally joined him back at the table, they sat in silence. Itachi had both of his forearms resting on the table, but Sasuke sat back with his arms crossed. A perfect picture of when they were younger.

So this was how it was going to be; so be it. He knew how this game went.

"Sasuke..." He started in that voice Sasuke knew far too well.

"I'm not a goddamn child, I don't need you to scold me." Itachi narrowed his eyes in response before rubbing his face to try and relieve the building tension.

"Then why are you here, Sasuke?"

"Is she here or not?" The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them, and Itachi's face didn't move at all. So much for a hint.

"Who?" He responded, a small smirk finally appearing. Itachi was always one to love playing games, especially when it came to his brother's love life. But this time it wasn't only his little brother involved, he supposed. Sasuke clenched his fists, knowing there was a familiar pout forming on his face.

"So that's a yes, then."

"So you're not here for a friendly catch-up chat with your big brother, I take it?" Itachi asked before taking a long sip from his drink, obviously not expecting a response. When he looked back up at his brother he seemed lost in thought, his gaze out the window to his right. Itachi decided it wasn't worth it to interrupt him, hoping that he might actually admit why he came to him in the first place.

Sure, he was probably looking for Sakura, but there were ways to find her without admitting his intention to Itachi. As expected, Sasuke breaks the silence, abandoning the prior topic.

"Everything seems the same but I can tell it's all different." Sasuke's angry stare moved from the window to the cup of tea in front of him, and Itachi was relieved to hear the genuineness in his tone.

"It has been awhile." Itachi admitted, wondering if Sasuke would ever actually be able to accept what had happened in his absence. Sasuke nodded, as if reading Itachi's thoughts. There was no use in trying to recap the past five years with him right now. Especially not when the largest topic of conversation was in the other room.

Itachi peeked back at the hall, but silence stretched throughout the house again. Luckily, he did not find it necessary to tell his brother about the full extent of his role in his absence. In the end, it didn't matter. Sakura never really listened to him, anyway.

"I'm going to have to see her again soon, Itachi." Sasuke finally said, his voice almost uncertain as he looked up at his brother. "You can't hide her from me forever."

Itachi pondered the thought for a moment, finally shrugging with indifference. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, slightly annoyed at the obscure gesture.

"What does that even mean?"

"We'll see." Itachi warned, his eyes narrowing into a far more threatening look. Sasuke's hand balled into a fist as he stood up, leaning over the table at his brother.

"Dammit, Itachi!" But the older brother only laughed, standing up and walking back into the kitchen at the outburst. Truthfully he just wanted to make a distance between the two of them. He was right that him and Sakura would have to face each other soon, and they would have scheduled time at the same set for the better part of a year.

Itachi wasn't quite sure how to handle that yet, honestly. He was hoping to be able to figure that out with Sakura _before_ his brother met with her. But something about Sasuke's reactions last night told him he was already too late.

' _Sakura... I told you not to go to that fucking party_.'

"Why do you always act like I can't do anything right?!" His brother shouted from the other room, not yet following him. Itachi was roused from his thoughts, and he tried not to outwardly laugh at the ridiculous statement. He knew his brother wasn't a complete fuck up, but when it came to a certain pinkette he didn't exactly have the best track record.

After all, he was the one who had to put up with the mess after he left last time. He didn't plan on doing it again.

"Itachi!~" A voice sang from down the hall, and Sasuke's eyes widened for a moment before he turned in the direction of the call. "I heard a nois-" Sakura stopped as she poked her head out the doorway, locking gazes with the last person she wanted to see right now.

"... Hi, Sasuke."

* * *

( _7 years earlier_ )

 _Sakura sat in the audition line, nervously chewing on her bottom lip and playing with the hem of her shirt. She was sure it would be her turn any second as she was one of the few girls left. She closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing to stop the hyperventilation._

 _Honestly, she was just happy to even get the audition! Of all the girls throughout Japan, they had called her back. She couldn't believe it. She had also heard rumors that Sasuke, the Sasuke, got a call back. She sighed dreamily, knowing that it had to be true. There was no way they would call her back but not him._

 _The sound of the door opening interrupted her thoughts, and she quickly turned to the boy who had come in, taking an empty seat a few away from her._

 _"S-Sasuke?" Sakura stuttered, a little shocked to hear the noise come out of her own mouth. She quickly shot her hand up to cover her stupid, treacherous mouth, but he looked over at her, carefully tilting his head as he looked over the nervous, excited mess of a girl in front of him._

 _Without responding, he turns his attention back down to the script pack in his hands. A bit annoyed at the very rude rejection, she scoots a seat closer to him, still leaving a two-seat buffer. He looks up at her again, but she can see him grimace at the obvious stars forming in her eyes._

 _"You're Sasuke Uchiha, right? You're in my class!"_

 _"Hn," was his only reply, and Sakura pouted._

 _"If you need to study your lines, you can just tell me you know." He finally puts them down, turning to look at her with a clearly annoyed face. Her face lights up in a blush, but she holds her ground._

 _"Fine." She turns her head away from him in a childish manner, but still whispered, "Sorry for bothering you."_

 _Sakura stood up to walk closer to the audition room, deciding there was no way he would ever want to talk to her. She was stupid to even try. Ino was right; he was way out of her league. But right as she took her first step, she heard him finally speak._

 _"You shouldn't get so upset about what I think of you." She turned to look at him over her shoulder, and the confusion must have shown across her features, because he continued._

 _"You should go back to how you were before I came in."_

 _She continued to look at him with what she was sure was a stupid face, her eyebrow cocked and her head tilted dramatically to the side. When he finally looked up to fully address her, there was a smirk tugging at his lips. He chuckled a bit after inspecting her, finally looking back down._

 _"You're annoying."_

 _Sakura felt her mouth drop open, sure that she must have misheard him. There's no way he could be so—so—!_

 _"But you've got a pretty smile. You should use it." Sakura swore she had whiplash from the complete change in demeanor. And sure enough, he looked back up to her and chuckled once more at the way her mouth hung open and her face burning a bright red. What an absolutely infuriating, confusing, absolutely beautiful piece of -_

 _"Sakura!" The casting director called from his clipboard, looking up to the girl standing in the middle of the room. "Ready?" He asked, and Sakura quickly nodded, "Yes, sir!"_

 _She turned back to Sasuke one last time, and was shocked when he gave her one last smile before looking back down at his script. She smiled back at him, realizing he had succeeded in distracting her for those last few agonizing moments._

 _"Thank you, Sasuke." She said in a voice soft enough to be considered a whisper. She wasn't expecting any other niceties or favors from the boy, but right before she walked through the door she heard him call back._

 _"Good luck, Sakura."_

* * *

"Hey," was all Sasuke said in response, and Sakura nervously combed her fingers through her bangs, suddenly regretting the decision to put her hair up. She really wished she could bury herself in it right now.

"Ah, Sakura, I hope you don't mind." Itachi said with a smile, and Sakura nodded dumbly back.

"Yeah, I mean no, of course. I don't mind." Her face was burning—since when did she go back to being that insecure little girl? With that thought, she straightened her back, deciding that if she wanted to survive this visit with any of her dignity, she'd have to get over any embarrassment from last night.

' _God, why did I think drinking was a good idea. Surprised Itachi hasn't given me the "I told you so" speech yet._ '

Her head was still pounding, and she wanted desperately to just go grab a quick breakfast with Itachi to offer a better explanation than she was able to last night. But there was no way that Sasuke would leave them alone, and no way that he would come with them.

She looked up at him as she approached the table, only to see that he hadn't stopped staring at her with a rather pissed off face. ' _Okay, so that's how it's going to be..._ ' She thought, rolling her eyes as soon as her face was out of his sight.

"Ah, Sasuke, did you have fun last night?" She asked as cooly as she could, sitting down at the table while Itachi brought her a cup of tea. She could have sworn she saw a flicker of insecurity in Sasuke's eyes, as well as a bit of a challenge. She wasn't sure why until she realized that her question meant something different to him than it would Itachi.

After all, Itachi had absolutely no idea what had happened last night. But Sasuke didn't know that. He was still so unsure about where her loyalties lie. The very idea caused a rather hypocritical annoyance, and knowing it was unfair, she buried it as deep as she could.

She had _not_ told Itachi what had happened in the sunroom, and she wasn't planning on it. She knew how Itachi felt about her talking to Sasuke; he had made it very clear. Sasuke must have seen the realization dawn on her, because he quickly went from stone-faced to smirking.

"It's always fun, isn't it Sakura?" She tensed at the tone of his voice. Was he trying to be funny? Or just an ass? She tried not to let it show, though, as she could feel Itachi carefully watching her for any sign of deception.

' _God, I hate when he looks at me like that._ '

Sakura knew that Sasuke would never be the one to step down or apologize. It just wasn't in his nature to be vulnerable. She already knew that, but for some stupid reason she had convinced herself it was actually just because of her influence. She had hoped that after five years of her absence he would change, and finally be happy. But as she felt two sets of dark eyes boring into her, she leaned forward in her chair, turning to look directly into the younger brother's eyes.

"Listen, Sasuke, I'm sorry for how I was last night." The look on his face was one of pure shock, and Sakura couldn't help but feel a little proud she could still surprise him.

"I drank too much and I let Naruto take that picture. I shouldn't have kissed you without your permission."

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably in his seat, obviously trying to work out why she was telling him this. But Sakura only leaned forward further, grabbing Sasuke's hand from the opposite side of the table and smiling warmly at him. Sasuke wasn't sure what was more unsettling, the stark difference from her actions last night, or the fact she was being undeniably genuine. She _actually_ felt bad.

"I hope you can forgive me. I know it probably made quite a mess for you." He felt like he was getting sucked into her eyes, and Itachi was glaring harshly at him, as if he could kill his brother with just a look. Sasuke opened his mouth, trying to speak for a moment before Sakura decided to show mercy, turning to look at Itachi. He finally relented from his glaring, and Sasuke took the moment to watch the two of them.

Sasuke had heard that Itachi and Sakura had gotten close over the years, and honestly he would be lying if he said he _never_ read the tabloid stories about Sakura. It wasn't like he hated her or was completely disinterested in her and her life. He just had to leave.

But as he watched the familiarity the two spoke with, and the way Itachi felt perfectly comfortable touching her made him feel ill. Just what was the nature of their relationship? True, Sakura had spent the night here but she was obviously coming out of the guest room, and she didn't seem ashamed in the least to be found here with him. And besides, Itachi wasn't always the most loving brother but there's no way he would do that to him, right?

Right?

"What about you, Sasuke?" Sasuke snapped out of his internal monologue, realizing she was expecting him to answer. But honestly, he hadn't the faintest clue what they were talking about. After a moment, Sakura laughed, shaking her head.

"I asked how you felt about the movie? To finish the series?"

For some reason, hearing that in her voice suddenly rocketed him back to reality. He was back in Japan because he had unfinished business. With her (and the others, he supposed). He would have to find a way to stand in front of a camera, with her, again, and convince the world that he... Sakura interrupted his thought with a wink and a wicked smile.

"You scared?"

* * *

( _7 years earlier_ )

 _A nervous Sakura stood before the set, positively shaking and nauseous with a healthy dose of excitement and anxiety. She kept flipping through her script, as if she hadn't memorized the lines months ago. She couldn't help it—she just had to make sure she got this right! But right as she was about to start reading it over again, a familiar blonde boy ran up to her._

 _"Sa-ku-ra!~" Naruto chimed, beaming with joy at her in a way that was almost too hard to hate. She openly groaned, looking up at him with a pout._

 _"Can't you see I'm trying to prepare for the first day?" But Naruto was having none of it, and he quickly snatched her script, holding it just out of her reach. Now Sakura was fuming, jumping up and clawing at him to try and get it back. How was it she could be taller than him, and still lose?_

 _'What a jerk, wasting my time like this!' She angrily thought to herself. But right when she finally managed to grab the script and roll it up to hit him over the head with it, she saw a figure appear out of her peripheral._

 _"Sasuke!" It was her time to beam, and she quickly abandoned a heartbroken Naruto to run over him. But Naruto couldn't hide his excitement, either. After all, he had been trying to be a co-star with the Uchiha for quite some time. For a while, it was the only roles he would apply to at all!_

 _"Can you believe I got the part?" She had been waiting for weeks to see him again and finally talk to him about the audition where they had last spoke. But Sasuke just shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "I guess."_

 _Sakura wouldn't give up that easily, and she made sure to match his pace so she would be right beside him, just in case he was actually trying to get away from her. But judging by the semi-smile forming in the corner of his lips, he was a little proud of her._

 _"So what do you think about our parts? I mean, how they, you know." Sakura's smile had gone from composed to absolutely ridiculous, and she was obviously uncomfortable with the topic she had decided to bring up._

 _"No, I don't know." Sasuke's face had shifted into that smug smirk he always wore, and Sakura decided it was time he meet his real match._

 _'I will make you fall in love with me, Sasuke!' She cheered for herself in her own head as she stepped in front of him, stopping him in his tracks as she held up her script triumphantly._

 _"How we're going to fall in love, of course!" She almost didn't recognize her own voice, but she was happy to have said it all the same. Because for the first time since she'd met him, Sasuke was actually blushing._

 _'He's so cute!' Her inner self beamed. But now was not the time to get distracted, no. Now was time to go in for the kill. She brought her arms behind her, locking her hands together._

 _"To be honest, I already do fancy you, Sasuke. I won't have to act at all."_

 _That was enough to make the usually silent, apathetic boy burn as red as the tomatoes he always packed in his lunch. Sakura channeled all of what she had to refuse to back down, and waited for his response. What was he going to do?_

 _'Your move.' But right as she swore he was going to do something, fate intervened._

 _"Naruto, Sasuke, get in position. It's time to get started." But honestly, Sakura wasn't disappointed. Seeing a flustered, blushing Sasuke struggle to walk away from her was more than enough for her. Because at that moment Sakura knew he wasn't as unattainable as she always thought he was._

* * *

"Tch." Sasuke ground out from between his teeth at Sakura's question. She was asking _him_ if he was scared? Like _he_ couldn't handle _her_?

But he immediately ate his words, because when she started giggling at the incredulousness of her confidence.

She still showed that open vulnerability, that transparency that drew him to her in the first place. He saw Itachi roll his eyes, and something about the situation seemed so... Normal. Docile. As if he weren't sitting at a table with his ex-girlfriend and scorned brother. When he saw the rather snide smirk on Sakura's face, he couldn't stop his mouth from curving into a lopsided smile.

And Sakura loved that smile. The way her eyes briefly widened in disbelief betrayed her cool demeanor. But she couldn't care about that right now, because Sasuke was smiling at her.

 _Actually_ smiling, like he used to do with her all the time.

Sakura's mouth hung open for a moment, before Itachi interrupted the moment by clearing his throat, as if to remind her of the thousands of warnings he had given her before. She swallowed thickly, staring down and taking a sip of her tea as if she felt guilty.

This interaction didn't escape Sasuke. Even though his curiosity was piqued, he tried not to dwell on it for too long. The few times Sasuke had actually talked to Itachi in the past few years, he learned that his older brother had quite a soft spot for Sakura. It almost seemed too soft, but Sasuke didn't like thinking about that. Not only because there was nothing he could do to change the past, but because Itachi—and Sakura, for that matter—can do whatever the hell they want. Sasuke waived his right to her business when he left her. And that was a long time ago.

"Well, I appreciate the tea, but I promised Ino I would meet with her at the café. So I really should be going." Sakura's voice seemed more restrained that just moments before. Sasuke didn't respond to the sudden departure, but Itachi stood from his seat as Sakura did the same. He watched the two exchanged a hug, but there was something so strained in the movements. The moment did not last long, and soon Sakura was standing before him, holding out her hand.

He briefly glanced at the extended hand before shifting his gaze to her face. She looked so uncomfortable, in a way he wasn't used to. Was she scared he was going to reject her? A fair thought, as it had crossed his mind.

As he stood she pulled her hand back, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she took a step back, finally turning to leave.

As soon as she felt his hand pressing lightly against her back, Sakura jumped ever-so-slightly, as if the contact physically shocked her. He did not move his hand as he followed closely behind her to the door. Sakura looked up with those big, confused doe eyes she used to only show him. He didn't meet her eyes as he said in a deceptively confident voice.

"I'll take you."

Sasuke wasn't sure what surprised him more, the fact that Itachi didn't protest, or the fact Sakura did. Her voice was quiet, but sincere when she said, "It's fine. I don't need a ride."

Sasuke finally looked directly into those deep jade eyes, letting his hand fall from her back, stopping next to her at the door.

"We need to talk, Sakura." He whispered, not sure if Itachi was still listening, as he seemed to have gone back into the kitchen without the intention to return.

"I don't know if now's the best time to do that." Sakura shifted uncomfortably, causing her oversized grey cardigan to slide off her shoulder. She didn't even go to fix it, her hands clasped in front of her. He watched as she nervously chewed on her bottom lip, avoiding looking at him. He sighed, running an agitated hand through his hair.

Why was she being _so annoying_?

"Come on, Sakura. What? You want to wait until we're on set?" His eyes were narrowed, but Sakura continued to avoid his eyes.

"I mean, no... But-" He cut her off, growing more impatient, "But what? If you think you're just going to keep avoiding this so I keep coming running after you, you're wrong."

Sakura's eyes snapped up to his in an instant, and he knew he had probably been too harsh. He hadn't meant to sound so angry with her, but at the same time he really was frustrated. She had been so willing to throw herself at him twelve hours ago, but now she was avoiding him? That picture had landed him in deep shit with more than just Itachi, and she was trying to act like she had the right to choose when they discussed it.

"I'm _sorry_?" She spat back, her voice suddenly becoming loud. She wanted to scream at him, ask him if he thought every decision in her life had to revolve around him. As if he had cared at all about the backlash when he left her. As if he even cared about the tabloids when they _were_ together! The audacity of him to act like he could demand a conversation, as if all of her messages had gone unanswered until it was convenient for him.

"You know what, Sasuke. Fuck you. I don't owe you anything."

She turned around, opening the door and going to slam it in his face. Sasuke stopped the door with his arm, immediately following her without even bothering to close the door. He caught up with her, getting increasingly annoyed as he saw the big tears welled up in her eyes.

"Why don't you just leave me alone? You're so good at that!" Her voice was much louder, and Sasuke hated it. But he didn't hate the volume nearly as much as her words.

"What? You expected me to just stay here?" His face was contorted, but his words remained level. This seemed to piss of Sakura even more, and she held her place as she tried to scream at her tears to not fall.

"Right, sorry, I forgot that _you_ get to make all the decisions." Sasuke rolled his eyes at the idea, and she just scoffed at the display.

"Get out of my way, Sasuke." She couldn't bear to touch him as she walked around him, carefully wiping off the moisture that collected under her eyes. She straightened her back, reminding herself that this mascara cost more than this fight was worth.

"What? You think you're just going to walk there?" He didn't even look over his shoulder to ask, but Sakura did. She stared at his back and yelled back, "I'd rather walk for an hour than get in your stupid fucking car!"

Sasuke clenched his teeth. He hadn't planned for the conversation to devolve this fast, and he knew that it would only be a few moments more before Itachi came out to kick his ass for this display in front of the manor.

He unlocked his car, climbing in and taking a few deep breaths, trying to think about how to redirect this conversation with his pride in tact. But the more he thought about her words, the more irritated he got.

He wasn't only mad at her. Sakura's anger was partially justified. Sasuke hadn't been the best boyfriend to her before. He knew that, he had accepted that a long time ago. But at the same time, she had to know that things couldn't be like this on the set. Nothing was going to be solved if they just insulted each other over and over again.

He leaned his head back against his headrest. He should have given them more time. Why didn't he come back earlier?

' _Right... I was avoiding this._ '

But he couldn't help it. He was just as stupid as she was when it came to their relationship. It was crazy to him how quickly the couple went sour. The honeymoon phase was over, that's what everyone said. But he knew there was more to it than that. She had tried so hard to keep him around, to keep him happy. But in the end he chose the fame over her. She was ready to give up the world for him. But he couldn't do that to her.

After he had calmed down, to the extent possible at this point, he finally backed out his car. He drove slowly down the street until he spotted Sakura, her back to him as she forcefully mashed the touchscreen on her phone, obviously irritated. He pulled up next to her, and she looked up at him for a second, just to turn her face away with a pout.

Even more irritatingly, the childish nature of the action caused some of his anger to disperse. She could never look scary. He stared at her for a moment, and when she started walking away, he followed. His face was bored as the car inched forward.

"Sakura..." He warned through a rolled down window.

"It's literally zero degrees outside. Get in the car."

Sakura refused to look at him, her arms crossed over her chest. Sakura's hands were absolutely burning from the cold, although she was convinced she could heat herself up with her anger alone.

Sasuke leaned against the car door, resting his hand on a free fist as he occasionally glanced at Sakura. The longer they continued like this, Sasuke's lips curled into a smirk. Sakura seemed to notice the change in his demeanor, and she stopped, prompting Sasuke to as well.

"What?" She finally asked, and Sasuke just shook his head.

"What are you smiling about, asshole?" She couldn't help but feel a little warmth inside at that stupid damn smile. Something about the question felt so familiar. But of course, when she used to call him an asshole, it wasn't meant as a serious insult. She wanted to go back to that feeling, and so she clung to that warmth.

' _Could we go back to that, Sasuke?_ '

Sasuke leaned back in his chair, looking at her with the same arrogant look. The warmth radiating from his car next to her was so, so inviting. So without more words, she groaned before opening the passenger side of his car and climbing in.

Sasuke rolled up the windows, not saying anything else. He began driving off into the general direction of the city. Sakura sat in the silence, still insisting on not talking to him. Instead, she tried to focus on the music softly coming from his stereo.

' _It's been three whole years of me thinking about you every day  
_ _Sometimes for hours, sometimes in passing  
_ _Saw you from the bottom of the staircase  
_ _Stood out for hours as you complained  
_ _About how you haven't seen your friends yet  
_ _That you're too drunk to stand and  
_ _You not knowing if you can love him forever._

 _Bullshit, you fucking miss me._ '

It was like the fates were laughing at her through the music. She went to change it, but Sasuke lifted his phone, indicating that the music was coming from his playlist.

' _Of_ _ **course**_ _. He's even messing with me via music_. _So very on trend_.'

Sakura finally broke under the silence, and she looked out the window as she said, "I thought you wanted to talk." Sasuke let out an uncharacteristic chuckle, and something about it made Sakura soften her stiff position.

"I thought you told me to shut up." Sakura's face reddened, and she struggled to find a response.

"So what, you just do what I say now?" She mumbled. When they stopped at a light, he changed the subject.

"What were you thinking last night?" The question was more of a statement, and Sakura wished she could sink into the chair.

"You'll have to be more specific." Sasuke shot her a warning glance, and she just blurted out, "I didn't take the picture! Ask Naruto why he's an idiot and posted it!"

Sasuke stopped her, "You know what I'm talking about." He watched her guilty expression until the light turned green.

"I don't know." She mumbled, obviously hiding something from Sasuke. He would have gotten irritated if there wasn't something so comforting in the way she hadn't changed one bit.

"You don't know?" He repeated, expecting her to become more defensive, although she remained obstinate. He looked at her in the corner of his eyes, her nose and cheeks kissed pink by the chill outside. But that's when he looked back to her hands, her remarkably bare hands.

"You're engaged. You're getting married in a couple months." He felt his own words like a punch in the gut. Somehow, throughout the events of this morning he had forgotten.

Maybe she was right— maybe this wasn't the time to talk. The silence fell between them again. She crossed her legs, putting her hands between her legging covered thighs. He wondered if she was trying to warm them up, or hide the lack of ring.

"No, I'm not."

Her voice seemed so hollow, and Sasuke couldn't hide the look of shock cross over his features. Surely, she wasn't getting cold feet because of him. Sakura was not the kind of girl to go back on her word. Does that mean the tabloids were actually right about her fiancé? Suddenly, Sasuke felt guilty.

' _He's leaving you...?_ '

Just as the conversation was beginning, Sakura pointed up ahead to a small cafe at the ground floor of The Yamanaka hotel.

"You can just drop me off."

Sasuke wanted to tell her no, and to continue the conversation. When had this happened? She hadn't mentioned this last night. But then again, had she? She did respond pretty harshly to his accusation of her adulterous activity.

Sasuke felt like an idiot for not asking earlier. But would knowing have made a difference? It certainly wouldn't have caused less mess to happen between them. If anything, it would have tempted him further.

He pulled off as close as he could to the sidewalk, glancing over at Sakura whose jaw was tense, her eyes looking more empty than usual. But just when she noticed he was looking, she smiled.

"Thanks for dropping me off. I guess we didn't really need to talk."

' _Oh, no, you're not getting off that easy..._ ' He thought, reaching forward and grabbing her arm before she got out. But Sakura didn't react to his grasp. Her features softened from their goofy smile to a gentler one.

"Just a joke, Sasuke."

Suddenly, she felt so far away. He felt her skin under his fingers they separated. She shut the door quietly, waving to him for a moment before she was gone, slipping into the hotel. He thought back to that look on her face. This was not what he had planned for.

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : Well, here is the second chapter. Mostly because I had already written the bulk of it before I posted the first. It should clear up a few questions I saw in the comments. But of course, we're still mostly hearing the story from Sasuke's point of view.

Just know I am writing it in a way to leave a lot of questions. The flashbacks will eventually (quickly) catch up to the story. But for now I want you to be confused, because that's how the other characters feel for the most part. You have to constantly ask yourself who could know about those events.

I considered a lot of different formats, but none of them worked like I wanted them to except this one. I promise I thought very hard about it!

Let me know if you have any characters you'd like to see. I'll probably continue this story, although I don't plan on slacking on Flotsam for it. What can I say, I play favorites!


	3. Chapter 3

x-x-x-x-x-x

Sometime Around Midnight

Chapter 3

Sakura spotted her friend from across the room, and she walked over in at a bit of a rushed pace, feeling guilty for being late. Even though Ino is typically late, Sakura is not. She sat down, noticing that the blonde kept her sunglasses on, leaning back in her chair without even acknowledging her presence.

"Hey Ino, sorry I'm late."

"..." Ino did not respond, and continued to stare off into space for a moment.

"Uh, hello? Earth to Ino." Sakura continued, but her friend only looked down at her nails, as if she were still waiting and growing more and more bored. Sakura raised a brow as she mumbled, "Oookay...?"

She looked at her phone in her bag, only to curse inwardly as she realized the number of missed texts that had to have happened over the last thirty minutes.

' _Shit! She's so pissed!_ '

Ino seemed to notice her friend's horrified expression, as she sat up, pulling off her sunglasses. "Oh, _I'm sorry,_ Sakura." Sakura gulped, as Ino leaned forward onto the table, standing up in a dramatic rage. "I didn't realize we were back on speaking terms!"

"Wha-" Sakura tried to defend herself, but Ino dug into her purse on the floor, pulling out her phone and standing back up as she scrolled through, obviously looking for something. When she finally found it, she started to chuckle.

"Because, you know, not only did you completely ditch me last night," She waved her free hand in the air, and Sakura shrunk into her seat. "While trying to find you, instead I find this-quite frankly- _hilarious_ picture on my Insta feed."

She held up the phone inches from Sakura's face, as if she didn't already know which picture it was. Ino had texted her constantly about it last night, which yielded no response.

' _Oops…_ '

"Then, suddenly, poof! Sakura has left the party." Sakura glanced up at Ino from behind the phone, only to look away quickly again. There was really no getting out of this one, she already knew that. When Ino stopped for a brief moment to scroll back through her phone, Sakura decided it was a good time to try to defend herself.

"Ino wait I can expla-" But Ino did not afford her the opportunity, continuing her rant.

"And _now_ sweet little Sakura is an hour late to meeting her best friend. And when she shows up, who is dropping her off? It's the king of all assholes himself!"

"Innooo," Sakura whined as she collapsed forward, her forehead resting on the table.

" **What**." Ino spoke through her teeth, obviously annoyed at her friend's solo adventures. Although, Sakura knew the anger wasn't completely real. After all, Ino did love her drama.

Sakura lifted her head, displaying the most innocent, sad eyes she could to her best friend, hoping that she would be given some mercy for breaking rule one of girl code—never leave your sister hanging.

Ino just glared down at her for a moment before sitting down, letting out an annoyed groan.

"Stop looking at me like that, Sakura. Tell me what the hell happened."

Sakura cheered internally at yet another win for her puppy-dog eyes. She was getting scary good at that. She took in a deep breath, but before she could start on the story, someone came over with a cup of hot chocolate. She was relieved something would warm her hands faster than just the heat of the room.

She grabbed it, pulling it up to her face before Ino cleared her throat. Sakura looked up to see her friend putting her hand out, indicating she was still waiting for an explanation.

"Well?"

"Oh, sorry." Sakura laughed, pulling the cup back down. "Uh..." She didn't really know how to start this story.

Should she tell Ino about the fight between her and her fiancé yesterday first?  
' _Ugh, don't want to talk about him..._ '

Or about her getting way too drunk off Ino's shots?  
' _She'd just blame herself_.'

"Spit it out or I'm leaving!" Ino practically yelled, and Sakura jumped up a bit before blurting out, "I kissed him!"

Ino's eyes widened in a mixture between shock and excitement. She hoped she was just excited about the drama, and not the implications it had for her current relationship.

' _Should I still call it that?_ '

"What? No way. You're shitting me. When? Where? How?! And I didn't even get it on footage. Dammit, Sakura." Ino was immediately looking down at her feed, and Sakura glared at her when it looked like she was about to start typing something.

"... Don't worry. It's definitely not about you."

Sakura was fully unconvinced. She reached over, trying to grab Ino's phone, but she held it further out of the way. Sakura waited until the blonde was about to stumble rather ungracefully out of her chair to snatch it, putting it between her legs so Ino couldn't get it back.

"Ugh! Fine. You're going to need to give me more details, then. I refuse to be bored." Sakura smiled, finally figuring out how to explain what had happened. "Thank you!"

"So you totally ditched me, and then what?" Ino recounted, taking a sip of her latte as she finally granted permission for Sakura to fully speak.

"So I saw him, and I don't know. I just wanted to... Hm, I don't know how to explain."

"You wanted to get back at the bastard for dumping you in an airport and running away to America?"

Sakura stared ungratefully at her friends interruption; she couldn't say Ino was _wrong_ , but that was not the main reason. Really, it didn't even make top three. "I mean. Kind of?"

Ino laughed a bit, taking another sip before muttering, "Been there."

"But also it was just. Okay, so me and you-know-who got into a fight right before I left for the party and-" Ino waved her hands, already interrupting her friend again.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, what? A fight? How did you not tell me about this?"

Sakura sighed, staring off into another direction for a moment before saying, "I mean, I kind of wanted to forget about it. Also part of the whole taking way too many shots with you at the party part of the story..."

Ino's laughter was not appreciated, but the starlet quickly covered her mouth, obviously embarrassed at the outburst. "I'm sorry, Sak, you're just seriously such a lightweight now that you don't come out with us anymore."

The words hit Sakura deeper than Ino knew they would, but Sakura just swallowed the discomfort from the notion and continued her story.

"But anyway, I just wanted someone to look at me and actually _want_ me, you know? And something about the way he looked at me when he noticed me at the bar... I just felt like he... Wanted me."

Sakura had drifted off into a daydream of a memory, smiling rather contentedly to herself, finally taking a sip of her drink with a happy hum. But just as soon as she had done that, Ino let out a whistle, before cheering, "Go Sakura!" She almost spit out her drink, her face turning bright red.

"You're telling me you really went and seduced that bastard just to use him? Fucking hilarious. I'm such a good influence."

Ino went scrambling for her phone for a minute, obviously wanting to tweet something snarky about the pinkette before Sakura cleared her throat, reminding her that she had taken her phone for this exact reason.

" **UGH**." Ino was so bad at being patient. She tapped her long, manicured nails on the table as she waited for Sakura to continue. "Anyway, like I was saying..." Ino rolled her eyes.

"I _wasn't_ trying to use him. I just wanted to see if I'd really changed as much as I thought I had. And as much as people think I have. I wanted to know what he thought."

' _Besides, I made such a fool out of myself. I'm surprised he didn't tell me to just fuck off...'_

She finally continued, "Because even though he's been gone for so long, a part of me still cares what he thinks about me."

Ino looked slightly irritated, and she let out an exaggerated yawn at the development. When Sakura glanced at her with a flat face, showing obvious disapproval for the gesture, Ino decided instead to state it out loud.

"Yawn." She pulled a disgusted face, pushing back in her chair.

"Here I was cheering for you for finally showing you're over that jackass, but now I fully rescind my approval." Sakura slouched down in her chair.

"How can you still care about him? After all of what he put you through?" She pressed, but Sakura shook her head. She tried to summon the words to explain to Ino. But no matter how many versions of the idea ran through her head, she knew Ino wouldn't listen to any of them. She couldn't blame her.

So instead she just settled on an honest truth.

"I don't know."

* * *

(6.5 years ago)

 _The cast had met together for a party to celebrate the upcoming debut of their show. It just so happened that it coincided well with the New Year. All around the private park were Sakura's newfound friends and their families. But Sakura was not out dancing with them, and instead chose to stand awkwardly on the edge of the dance floor next to an obviously uncomfortable Sasuke._

 _She didn't mind the silence they often shared together in public; Sakura knew he was much more shy than he liked others to know. So she just rocked back and forth to the music, tapping the rhythm of the song on her plastic cup filled with juice._

 _"Why don't you just go dance?" Sasuke finally asked, glancing over at her from where he stood. Sakura shrugged._

 _"You obviously want to." He continued, leaning over to her so he wouldn't have to raise his voice over the music._

 _"Are you going to dance with me?" She joked, and he just looked away with a light blush on his face. She shakes her head, knowing that it was a long shot. Although they had made a lot of progress as friends, she tried not to hold on to the hope he would fall head over heels for her any time soon._

 _But sometimes he would look at her and Sakura swore that it was as more than a friend._

 _"I don't want to dance with you." He mumbled, and suddenly the thought was dispelled. They were just friends. She needed to get it together. She just nodded, and stared down at her drink._

 _"Yeah, I figure-" But Sasuke cut her off, continuing over her as he stepped closer, but turned away from her. "I mean, I don't want to dance with anyone." Sakura smiled, wondering if he was only trying to make her feel better from the rejection._

 _"There are too many people here. It feels weird."_

 _Sakura peered over at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes. She leaned in closer to the boy who was now avoiding her eyes._

 _"You scared, Sasuke?" She teased. Sasuke huffed out a breath, and adamantly replied, "_ _ **No**_ _, I am not."_

 _This only made Sakura smile wider, and she finally reached out with one hand to poke Sasuke on the side. He jumped, turning toward her with his arms crossed over his chest._

 _Sakura stuck out her tongue for a moment, but he just continued to stare at her. She couldn't help but start to laugh. He looked so adorably flustered. He was never like this with anyone else._

 _"You know, I can teach you. You don't have to be plagued by awkward dances for the rest of your life." Sakura playfully suggested, knowing that it would be enough to provoke a response. If there was one thing she was good at, it was teasing him. But just to be sure, she reaches out, placing her hand softly on one of his crossed arms and smiles._

 _"I'm just teasing Sasuke. I'm sure you're a wonderful dancer."_

 _Suddenly, Sakura feels his much larger hands grab onto hers, as Sasuke pulls her away. She wonders at first if they are actually going to dance before realizing they are headed in the exact opposite direction._

 _"Sasuke? Where are we going?" She asks, half confused and half nervous that she might have taken it too far. But he doesn't let go of her hand, and looks back with a small smile as he whispered, "Just follow me."_

 _"O-Okay!" Sakura can swear that her pupils have changed to stars as she watches him. Of course she would follow him. She would follow him anywhere._

 _"Sasuke!" Just before they got too far, Sasuke's mother stopped them. As the fates would have it, she was in the middle of talking to Sakura's mother, who seemed all too excited about the scene in front of her, waving at Sakura with a dopey smile on her face._

 _"Where are you two headed? The fireworks will start soon." Mikoto asks with a small smile, her eyes roving between the two teens. Sasuke was still holding on to Sakura's hand, and he didn't look like he was going to let go any time soon. Sakura seemed like she was trying to hide from the women behind Sasuke._

 _Sasuke's face was a much deeper shade of red than he would have liked, and he opened his mouth to fumble some excuse for why they were heading off on their own, but Sakura's mother interjected._

 _"Well, isn't it obvious! They're going on a little date." Mebuki beamed, and Sakura wanted to die in Sasuke's shadow at this very moment. But then something else happened, something that Sakura wasn't expecting._

 _"We wanted to go find a better view at the top of the hill." Sasuke gestured over to the walking path that led up the hill. Sakura suddenly couldn't care about anything he said. Because when it came down to it, Sasuke had not corrected her mother. He did not say that this was_ _not_ _a date._

 _"Alright, well have fun you two!" Mikoto instructs, waving to them to instruct them to run off. Mebuki smiled at her shy daughter who was ignoring her eyes. Just like always._

 _"Yes, take care of Sakura for me, Sasuke. Sometimes she gets scared by the fireworks!"_

 _Sakura groans, and decides it's her turn to lead, pulling on Sasuke's hand as she starts to lead him off. He smiles to Mebuki nonetheless, "Yes, ma'am."_

 _As the two of them left at a startling pace, Mikoto laughed, turning back to Mebuki with a hand on her cheek. "My, my."_

 _"They are just too cute together." Mebuki agrees._

 _When they got to the top of the hill a few minutes later, neither of them had spoken since they left their mothers. Sakura's face was stuck in a permanent blush, but Sasuke seemed to have returned to his steely demeanor. Sakura hated (loved) how cool he always seemed._

 _He led them to a small bench off the trail, and pulled her to sit down next to him while they caught their breath from jogging up the hill. After a moment, Sakura scooted a few inches closer so that their legs were touching. When he looked over at her, she felt the need to explain._

 _"I'm cold."_

 _Sasuke did not object. Instead, he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her even closer to him. Their entire sides were pressed against each other, and she looked up to his face with her eyes full of wonder._ _She felt like she was in a dream, as if she would wake up any moment to find out she had slept through the new year. To test her luck, she decided to talk to him._

 _"What are you looking forward to the most, Sasuke?"_

 _Sasuke did not look at her face out of fear he wouldn't be able to form coherent thoughts. She was seriously way too close, and way too cute, to risk it. Instead he just shrugged, choosing not to tell her any of his thoughts at the moment._ _Especially_ _not the ones about her._

 _"Have you realized that our first kiss of the new year is going to be on set?" Sakura probed, wondering if he would say anything about it at all. Really, she was trying to figure out if this would be his first kiss (_ _not_ _including the time Naruto accidentally bumped into him while fighting). She silently hoped it would, as it was always her dream to share her first kiss with him._

 _"I... Hadn't thought about it, no." Sasuke said cryptically, and Sakura's inner voice huffed at the lack of detail provided._

 _"Well. I'm glad to have gotten to know you so far. It'll make it easier, you know?" She laughed, and looked down at her feet as she kicked them in the air. She was suddenly grateful to be short, not having to worry about her feet staying planted on the ground like his._

 _"It's funny. I never thought I'd get to be close to you like this." Sakura reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, wondering if Sasuke would take the opportunity to move his hand that had stayed put on her waist ever since he pulled her closer. Sakura's heart skipped a beat when he did not, leaving them right where they were._

 _"Even though I told you I liked you on that first day of filming," She started, finally looking up at him with a gentle smile._

 _"I could have never known how much I would really start to love you, Sasuke."_

 _Sakura could barely dwell on the thought, because as soon as the words left her mouth, Sasuke had grabbed her face with his free hand, tilting it up to him. She wanted to gasp, but couldn't, as he immediately pressed his lips hard against her own._

 _She tried not to panic, letting herself drop all other thoughts in this moment. Sasuke Uchiha, the love of her life, was kissing her!_

 _Her eyes fluttered shut, and she leaned in even harder to the kiss. She had always expected that their first kiss would be gentle and chaste, but this was alright too. She wasn't picky. It was honestly probably a more accurate description of how they felt. She placed a hand over his heart, feeling it pounding underneath her palm._

 _Never in a million years would she have thought that she would be here, and she couldn't be happier. She grabbed onto his shirt, cherishing the last few seconds of the kiss before he broke it off. Her eyes were hazy and glazed over as she stared at him, not speaking a single word._

 _"I-I... I just didn't want it to be fake." He explained, and Sakura almost corrected him. This was not the first kiss of the new year, because the new year hadn't started yet._

 _That was when it hit her, that he was not talking about his first kiss of the new year. He was talking about his first kiss._

 _He didn't want his first kiss to be fake, and he still chose her._

 _"Me either." She whispers, and soon enough he is kissing her again. There were no other words left to explain how they felt. She breathed in the scent of him, and basked in the feeling of his warmth. She wished she could stay like this, with him, forever. Every time they stopped to breathe they were left gasping for air, but they couldn't stop._

 _Sasuke had known this would happen, and he thought to himself, 'I wanted to kiss you here, because I knew once I started I could never stop.'_

 _Time seems to be passing at a different pace on the top of the hill, and Sakura can feel her fingers burning from the cold, but she can't bring herself to care. She would freeze here on this bench if it meant that she could kiss him all the while. She pulled away once more, and was about to speak before a loud bang rang through the air._

 _Sakura yelped, jumping in her seat. The action caused her to bump foreheads with the boy, who blinked a few times before lifting his hand to his forehead, trying to figure out what had just broken the moment. They looked up at the fireworks lighting the sky, and Sakura began to laugh._

 _It was the most beautiful thing Sasuke had ever heard. He could barely move from his spot, staring wide-eyed at her as she laughed, a red spot on her forehead from where they had bonked heads. He felt like his heart would explode the longer he held it in. He let his hand fall before he blurted out the one thing he couldn't stop thinking, his first words of his first year with her:_

 _"You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."_

 _It is Sakura's turn to look dumbfounded, and she immediately stops laughing. Slowly, a much smaller smile creeps across her mouth. She picks herself up slightly so that she is at his level, and places a small, chaste kiss on his lips before throwing her arms around his neck in a hug._

 _She whispers gently in his ear, "Happy New Year, Sasuke."_

* * *

"Listen, I know you two have a history. But most of it has been _bad_ , Sakura." Ino pleaded to her friend, but Sakura was still lost in a memory. How could Ino know about their relationship? They had barely spoken when she was dating him.

"Don't you remember what it was like?" Ino pressed on, and normally Sakura would give in at this point, accepting that it was better for her to move on with the man she had with her now. But instead, she fought back.

"I do remember, Ino. I just want it to stop feeling like this. That doesn't mean I'm trying to date him again."

"Well I certainly hope so, considering your wedding is in _two months_." Ino pointed out what she thought was obvious, which only made Sakura realize that she had not told her yet. She knew she should, but she just really didn't want to. Couldn't she wait a few more days of people not pitying her?

"Yeah, about that..."

Ino perks up in her seat once more, and immediately retorts, "Explain. Right now."

Sakura sighs, running a hand through her loose bangs before bringing both hands to her face, resting her chin on them. "I already told you, we had a fight."

"Sakura, you two fight like, every day. You've never called off shit for it before!" Ino shouted back, and Sakura quickly shushed her, pointing out that there were other people in the café who could overhear her.

"Well, I did this time!" She whispered in a hostile tone better suited for yelling, dropping one of her arms so she was only leaning on the one. She couldn't tell if the pink dusting her cheeks was from anger or embarrassment. She chose anger.

"Sakura! That's wonderful news!" Her best friend yelled once more, and this time Sakura didn't bother shushing her. There was no way to stop it.

"I mean, it better not have anything to do with the other asshole but- I mean come on you know how I feel about that piece of shit!" Sakura smiled a little, comforted by the fact that Ino would always be on her side (even though the only reason why is because she had _always_ hated Sakura's latest beau).

"Thanks for being supportive Ino, but I think I might have made a mistake."

Ino raises her hand, waving it frantically in front of her friend as if to wake her from a nonexistent daydream. "Sakura Haruno don't you fucking dare!"

Sakura only groans in response, dropping her remaining arm so she could put her face within the two of them crossed on the table. She began to mumble an objection, but Ino interrupted her.

"Honestly, girl. Dump your piece of shit, tell the asshole to fuck off, and do what I've been saying for _years_ , Sak!" Ino was becoming more insistent, and Sakura knew where this conversation was headed. Her hands formed fists for a moment, but stopped. She couldn't blame Ino. But at the same time, she had asked her to stop bringing this up dozens of times.

"There's only one guy in your life I've never seen disappoint you. Itachi deserves for you to at least give him a chan-" Sakura shot up from her spot on the table, a clear look of protest across all of her features.

"Ino, don't start."

"Come on! You've got to be kidding me. All of the things he did for you? I've never seen him _not_ answer your beck and call. He's crazy in love with you. And you'd really leave all of that for- for Sasuke?!"

Sakura brought down an open palm on the table in frustration, and the cups rattled on the table. Ino, shocked at first, quickly soured at the action.

"I said stop it, Ino!" Sakura's muscles were tensed, and Ino took one look at her narrowed glare and knew there was no hope. Maybe she really should just give up on trying to help Sakura. She never listened.

"Fine." She responds, quiet and submissive. She picks up her cup, drinking without another mention. They sit in silence for a moment.

Sakura wanted nothing more than to explain to Ino why she couldn't be with Itachi, but it wasn't her business. There was no need to open old wounds. Of course Itachi sounded perfect to Ino, she had only ever heard and seen the good things. She has no idea what had happened between the two of them, and she never would. Her and Itachi had promised each other to leave it in the past.

Sakura hands back Ino her phone in the awkward silence, knowing that she would have to be the one to offer peace. Ino took it sullenly, although she did immediately begin typing.

"Don't worry. It's not about you."

Sakura rolled her eyes, knowing that it was still definitely about her. Ino would post something vague about how she's always right and her friends are all idiots who don't listen. Yet Sakura didn't stop her; she was right, as far as she knew.

"How are you and Sai?" Sakura asked, swirling the contents of her hot chocolate without looking up. "Wonderful," was Ino's short response.

Sakura genuinely was happy for her. She had introduced the two after Sai had been cast as Sasuke's replacement on the show until it got canceled. A lot of the fans hated him for his role, but Sakura had always enjoyed the unique perspective he brought with his character. Although the two of them did not get along, he was so smitten with the blonde socialite that she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

And maybe she was unfair to Sai by hating him, too. She only didn't like him because he was a constant reminder of Sasuke's absence. He often criticized Sasuke's decisions, and even if he was right in those criticisms, she felt he didn't deserve to make them. He hadn't known Sasuke, and he certainly hadn't care for him like her and Naruto did.

"Well, I'm glad he treats you well." Sakura gave the realest smile she could, but Ino stared at her with the same sad, pleading look from her earlier rant. After a moment, Ino smiles back, abandoning the desire to tell Sakura that she deserved it, too.

She puts down her phone, and the two of them fall into basic conversation about anything and everything besides the party and last night. But as the talking stretched on, Ino could tell Sakura was once again not telling her the full truth about anything.

Sakura had changed many times over the past few years, and usually there was a good reason for it. Numerous traumatic events had plagued the pinkette, but Ino had only heard whispers of them from other people. She never dared to ask Sakura about them, knowing that she would deflect or lie like she always did.

' _What is so terrible that you won't tell me, Sakura?'_ Ino asks herself, scared of the answer. She doesn't dare ask.

* * *

(6.5 years ago)

 _"Sakura~" Naruto coos, and comes up behind Sakura, throwing his arms over her shoulders. Sakura sighs before growing more irritated as he remains planted against her back._

 _"Naruto." She responds curtly, beginning to pry his arms off of her until he finally removes them himself. "We should go out together and get some dinner after this!"_

 _Sakura watches him with an irritated expression, knowing that if she were to agree she would have to eat ramen while he constantly flirted with her. She almost felt cocky for thinking it, but then Sasuke walked up to the two, not entering the conversation yet as he sat nearby. Sakura smiled at him, and he just glanced away._

 _They had met a few times after the New Years party, usually just at the movies (he had even brought her to a private screening!) or hanging out at the other's house. But Sasuke had made no attempt to tell anyone else about the arrangement, and she wasn't willing to risk it. So she remained quiet, waiting for his move._

 _"You know, if you ask me it really doesn't make sense our characters don't end up together, Sakura!" Naruto interjected on the moment, and she thought to herself that no one had actually asked him for his opinion on the matter._

 _"That's because your character is a loser." Sakura deadpans, and Naruto shouts in objection._

 _"What do you mean a loser? I'm the main character!" But Sakura doesn't respond, only choosing to stick her tongue out him, bored._

 _"She picks me because I'm a better boyfriend." Sasuke finally joins in, and Naruto groans as he walks over to Sasuke, arms crossed. Sakura can feel her face turning red at the words, and she is suddenly struck by the realization he wasn't talking about the characters._

 _'Sasuke, are you going to tell him...?'_

 _"No way! Your character is such a bastard!" Naruto argues, but Sasuke continues to look disinterested. Naruto is even more annoyed at this point, and finally raises his hands in a shrug. "Besides, how would you know, you've never had a girlfriend."_

 _"No, you've never had a girlfriend. I have a girlfriend." Sasuke responds, bored. Naruto is suddenly shocked, and steps back at the statement. He looks irritated, albeit a bit confused. He knows it would definitely be possible, though. Naruto is running the list of Sasuke's fanclub at school through his head in contemplation. _

_"Who is it, then?" Naruto finally asks, giving up on trying to figure it out. Sakura is standing behind the two nervously, wondering if Sasuke was going to tell him the truth, or just wave the idea off. It wouldn't be the first time Sasuke had said something vague to best Naruto in an argument. She was watching him in anticipation, but he never looked up to her._

 _"Sakura."_

 _Sakura can feel her heart stop as he says her name. 'He did it!' She thinks, swooning at the implications of this moment. He was telling Naruto, which means he might as well have told the whole world. He called her his girlfriend! They were dating!_

 _"Ehhh, unfair! Why do you always get the girl?!" Naruto yells, pulling at his hair as he stands in front of the Uchiha boy, whining. However Sasuke doesn't watch him, looking past the dramatic blonde to Sakura._

 _She has a ridiculous, goofy smile on her face and it warms his heart. He smirks at her, and she giggles nervously. He feels bad for a moment that he didn't actually ask her, but she doesn't seem to have any problems with it._

 _"I am not a trophy, Naruto!" She yells as the boy continues with his hysterics. Naruto apologizes, but Sakura does not accept it. "Stop crying, idiot! You only liked me because you wanted to win!" Naruto hangs his head, and Sasuke thinks to himself that she's right about one thing. He won._

 _Later that afternoon, Sakura and Sasuke were curled up together on the couch in his room, watching some action movie that neither was particularly paying attention to. There was some kind of murder mystery, and as usual they were suspecting the much younger wife of the old millionaire. The term "trophy wife" brought Sasuke back to their previous conversation._

 _"You know, you are sort of like a trophy." He says with a smirk on his lips, and Sakura pouts from his side, huffing at the idea. Sasuke laughed a bit, leaning in closer to her._

 _"I mean, you are pretty and I get to show you off."_

 _Sakura is trying to remain mad, but she can't, and soon she is laughing. The idea of Sasuke being the one to tell her these things was always in her wildest dream. But now here he was, being an absolute goof and suggesting that she was anything worth showing off. But somehow, when he said it, she believed him._

 _"You're so stupid." She says, pushing him away from her for a moment. But he comes right back, and he seems less playful than only seconds before._

 _"I'm sorry for telling Naruto without asking you first."_

 _Sakura, a bit shocked, shrugs. "It's fine. Honestly, I'm still surprised you like me at all." She said with another awkward chuckle, wondering if she would ever get used to hearing things like that from him._

 _"Yeah, but I didn't even ask you to be my girlfriend." Sasuke points out, and his tone of voice was just nervous enough to expose a sliver of insecurity. Sakura smiled at the vulnerability that was so unlike him._

 _"You didn't need to. You already knew the answer."_

 _Sasuke chuckled at that, before returning to his typical arrogant stoicism. He slowly crept closer to her until their faces were inches apart. She slowly leaned back, trying to avoid losing this competition. But soon she was almost laying flat on the couch when he turned to whisper in her ear._

 _"You should at least try to play hard to get, Sakura."_

 _Sakura smirked back at him, and he watches as the nerves faded and she became flirtier in response. She pushed him back, turning the tables back on him. He watched her with a mixture of wonder and surprise. He always knew she had it in her to take the reigns, but he rarely got to see it._

 _"You're a cocky asshole, you know that?" She says, pulling gently on the neck of his t-shirt, making sure he never got too far away from her._

 _Then, suddenly, she lets go, and he stays put while she sits back up. "Maybe I've changed my mind, maybe I won't be your girlfriend." She teases, looking over at him with those mischievous eyes._

 _Sasuke, not falling for the trick, just shrugs. He goes to get up, telling her simply, "That's fine, I'll just ask Ino instead."_

 _As soon as he finished, Sakura tackled him down onto the couch to stop him from leaving. She had the most adorable pout on her face, and he noticed the tips of her ears turned red from the joke. He couldn't help but laugh as she stared down at him, transparently irritated._

 _But she can't stay mad for long, because she just can't get enough of his laugh. Not the little chuckle he does around Naruto, and not the fake one on set. Sasuke's true laugh. She also started laughing, and soon collapses on his chest while the two shared the moment._

 _She wonders why he doesn't show this part of him to anyone else. While she feels special, she still thinks it must be exhausting. Why only be happy when you're alone?_

 _Sasuke grabs her and kisses her, and so she lets the thought dissipate. He was not alone. He had her; he would always have her. She melts into his touch, imagining how much better life would be if they could always be together._

 _A knock resided through the room, shocking the two of them out of their cheerful state. Sakura flew back up to a sitting position, readjusting her hair and self so that she was facing the television. Sasuke took a much slower time, obviously annoyed at whoever was interrupting him._

 _"Come in," he says in the plainest tone he can, given what they were doing before. He can feel his heart beating faster, but buries the nerves for as long as he can. Itachi opens the door, not entering but just poking his head around to look at the two obviously guilty teenagers._

 _"Oi, I'm taking Sakura home soon so hurry up and finish pretending to watch the movie."_

 _Sakura's face immediately flushed, and she felt like she would die on the spot. It was one thing to kiss Sasuke, but to have other people insinuating such a thing as inevitable and obvious was something else. She had never really talked to Sasuke's brother, but he made her so incredibly nervous._

 _'Why is everyone in this family so beautiful!' She cried internally._

 _"Fuck off, Itachi." Sasuke said back, tossing a remote at the door that he easily dodged. He laughed as he started to shut the door, "Seriously, come out when it's over!"_

 _Sasuke rolls his eyes as the door closes. When he looks back at Sakura sinking back into the couch, and Sasuke can't help but smile at how ridiculously cute she looks when she's embarrassed._

 _After a moment of silence and an honest attempt to watch the show, she realized she had no idea what was going on. So she chuckled before telling Sasuke, "Well... He's not wrong. We aren't really watching it."_

 _Sasuke is not willing to let his brother be right about anything, and so he crosses his arm, telling her, "I can do two things at once."_

 _Sakura immediately sees through this, and decides to prove it. She really did love teasing him. "Oh?"_

 _"What's her name?" She asks, pointing to one of the two main characters. Sasuke, not able to come up with an answer begins blushing. Sakura giggled, sure she had won. But he was not willing to lose, and muttered back, "Shut up."_

 _"That's definitely not her name." Sakura says between giggles, and Sasuke smiles. He wanted to hear her laugh all the time. He wanted to always be the one who made her happy. He decided that in the future, he would lose if it meant he got to listen to her laugh_

 _But not today._

 _It's his turn to tackle her, and soon the two are lost between the kisses and laughs once more. This is a much better way to make her shut up, he decides. After a moment, when the laughter died down. Sakura whispered to him something she was sure was just another tease._

" _He's just jealous, anyway."_

* * *

Itachi hears Sasuke's car pull into the driveway, obviously going way too fast for him to have had a nice conversation with Sakura. He counted down in his head the time it would take his brother to burst through the door. Within thirty seconds, there he was.

"What took so long?" Itachi asked, resting on the couch and clearly not surprised to see him come back. Sasuke doesn't bother sitting – he doesn't want to be here long. "Ha-ha." He forces out, not even taking a breath before he began the onslaught of questions.

"Why didn't you tell me she was going to that party?"

"I told her not to. She doesn't listen to me."

"Why didn't you tell me about her fiancé?"

"How do you _not_ know about her fiancé?"

"How am I supposed to know they were calling off the wedding? The media says that every time you look at someone the wrong way."

Suddenly, Itachi stopped answering. His entire disposition changed, and Sasuke realized they might actually get somewhere. Either he didn't expect Sasuke to find out, or he didn't know because Sakura had not told him.

"They're _what_?"

"Don't act like you don't know, Itachi. Clearly she doesn't hide much from you." Sasuke shot back, gesturing down the hallway to the now empty guest room.

"Sasuke." Itachi is looking up at him with a genuine look of betrayal and confusion, and Sasuke knows this is the only way to get any kind of information from him. His brother was smart and calculating, but just as vulnerable to surprise.

"Seriously, how often does she stay here that she has changes of clothes here, huh? Did she actually sleep in the guest room or did you just know I was going to come looking?" Valid questions.

"Sasuke, stop." Itachi repeated, and the tone in his voice told Sasuke that his questions were hitting something he couldn't understand. All it was doing was confirming some of his worst fears. Something _had_ happened between the two, and both of them were planning on hiding it from him.

The very idea pissed him off more than anything else that had happened in this fucked up 24 hour period.

"Seriously, why should I trust anything you say? Clearly you're just trying to fuck this up, just like everything else! Just like-" But he couldn't finish the thought, because Itachi finally spoke up with a clear, furious voice.

"Sasuke I didn't tell you because **I didn't know**."

That seemed to strike a cord with him, and the fury dripping from those last three words was enough to confirm that he was telling the truth. Sakura hadn't told him, the man she was supposed to be closest to. She told Sasuke, but not him.

' _Am I the only one she told?_ ' He suddenly wonders, trying to put the pieces together. Was that why Sakura was crying in the sunroom? Had it just happened last night? Is that why no one knew? But he saw them together at the party, and they looked so perfectly fine. Was she just acting?

If that was acting, how much of what he saw was fake?

He's roused from the thought by Itachi's increasing anger. Although his brother said nothing, he had hunched forward, his face in his hands as he rested his elbows on his knees. He clearly did not want to talk to Sasuke, and was hoping he would just leave.

He did not.

Itachi needed to talk to Sakura, but there was no chance of that happening when she was with Ino. It would only spark more problems for him if he demanded to see her. Not only would Sakura be angry at him, but Ino would pressure her into leaving. He knew he was not exactly a preferred topic of conversation between the girls. Or at least, he figured, considering Sakura won't be with them both at the same time.

He didn't want Sasuke to be here for this. He didn't want to give Sasuke any more information on Sakura's relationship, or his role in it. He didn't want him to know anything more than what he needed to, which was basically nothing. It wasn't his business. It wasn't even really Itachi's business.

But at the same time, Itachi was so grateful that Sakura would not be with that man anymore. And if it were really true that it was ending, it meant Sakura had to have left him. He would never let her go. However, he couldn't think of what would make her do it.

He prayed it had nothing to do with his stupid brother's return. If it was just because of Sasuke, then as soon as he fucked things up again, she would fall right back into bad habits. He knew it was true because he had seen her do it, although last time it wasn't Sasuke who fucked it up.

He had spent over two years trying to separate the two of them. It had been the center of all problems between him and Sakura for _years_. He had to watch her be poisoned time and time again by this relationship.

The thought brought him back to the other person in the room, and he sighed a heavy breath before letting his hands fall back down, composing himself enough to sit up.

' _She definitely has a type, doesn't she?_ ' He thought, now eyeing his little brother who hadn't budged through his entire thought process.

' _He's just the type..._ ' He thinks. ' _The type I'll never be_.'

"She really didn't tell you?" Sasuke asked, his voice much calmer and quieter than it had been all morning. He was still struggling to believe it, that Sakura would choose him for something, anything, over Itachi.

Itachi doesn't answer, but the lack of a response is enough. She didn't tell him.

Sasuke finally takes a seat next to his brother on the couch, leaning against the armrest as they sat in silence. Itachi breaks it with a light chuckle. Sasuke glances over, wondering what he finds so funny.

"That woman is _so annoying_."

Sasuke can hardly believe Itachi actually said it, and he can't help but laugh back. "Yeah." He said through a smile, "She really is."

"Did she say why?" Itachi finally asked, and the vulnerability in the question itself made Sasuke feel slightly bad for his brother. If Sasuke felt betrayed by Sakura for her opening up to him, how must he feel?

"He's leaving her." Sasuke theorized, but Itachi's reaction tells him he must be wrong. But that doesn't make any _sense_ to Sasuke. Why would Sakura leave him just to cry about it? Then again, he knows very little about the man himself.

"You're mistaken." Itachi concludes, which only further irritates Sasuke. He wasn't even there, what does he know?

"She made it pretty clear it was his decision." Sasuke doubled down, knowing that he didn't really have any solid evidence. But he knew Sakura, right? There was no way she would break a promise she made to someone for something stupid. Even if she was leaving him, it had to be his fault.

"What exactly did she say then?" Itachi asked, knowing that he was right. There was no way he would leave Sakura. She had tried to leave before and he simply didn't let it happen. He would do anything to force her to stay. He wasn't going to leave just like that.

Sasuke wanted to explain what Sakura said, but he couldn't. He couldn't tell Itachi what Sakura said because half of it made no sense unless he told his brother what had happened between the two. He struggled for a moment, to try and think of something she said that didn't include the sunroom.

"She said she wasn't going to marry him." Was all that he got out, which he knew didn't support him at all. Itachi just laughed, becoming more irritated with his brother making such a big deal out of nothing.

"I've heard that a couple dozen times before." He mumbled, reminding Sasuke of the tabloid stories he had seen about the two. Half of them, the more reputable ones, wrote about them like they were a perfect couple. Sakura had numerous interviews about their relationship. They were always together, and the man seemed fairly charming, if not cocky.

' _Sounds familiar..._ '

But the other half wrote about a man who didn't value her at all, or a woman who far below his league. It painted a picture of lovers at odds. A miserable relationship plagued by her jealousy and inadequacy. But how could he trust that? They had said the same thing about her when she was with him. It wasn't true then.

' _Sakura,_ " He thinks to himself, suddenly feeling the crushing guilt he tried not to think about. ' _I should have stopped them when I could_.'

But Itachi was still staring at him while he had this crisis, and Sasuke did not want his brother to analyze any more of his thoughts.

"She made it clear he had done something to her." Sasuke finally said, deciding it was vague enough to satisfy his theory without revealing something he didn't want to.

Itachi suddenly seemed disinterested, staring off into space. This all sounded so familiar. This was just like every other time. He wasn't leaving her and she wasn't going to leave him. Sakura didn't tell him they were splitting up because it wasn't happening.

Itachi felt guilty. He was so quick to believe she would keep something from him. But no, his brother was just hopeful and _wrong_.

"They're not going to break up." Itachi says confidently, standing up to leave. Sasuke cannot accept this answer, and just like always, he hated to lose. He refused to lose to his brother, especially over her.

"She didn't even talk to you about it, how sure are you that _you_ know her, Itachi?"

He doesn't answer, and begins retreating down the hallway, a clear indication for his brother to see himself out. Sasuke's hands ball into fists, and before he can stop himself, he says the one thing he swore he wouldn't let his brother know.

"She kissed me."

There is a long pause. Itachi takes a few more steps, but then stops. He does not turn around, and instead says in a calm voice, "Come back when you have something new to tell me."

Sasuke's irritation was palpable, and Itachi didn't move. He wondered for a moment how his brother would react. So he waited. He could hear the heavy breathing, indicating his brother was dealing with some kind of strong emotion.

And he was, Sasuke's arms wrecked by fine tremors at his brother's response. ' _She told him_.' He thought, his mind quickly falling through the trap set so well. She didn't keep anything from him. Itachi had won, hadn't he?

' _I am not a trophy!_ '

Her voice echoes through his head, and he feels like it's going to explode. He hates this. He _hates_ her. That thought is enough to propel him out the door without another word.

Hearing the door close, Itachi finally takes the last few steps into the guest room. He wasn't planning on going there, but he couldn't make it back to his room like this. He shut the door behind him, immediately sinking back against it until he was seated on the floor.

The tension all released at once, and for a moment Itachi was sure he would go mad in this very spot. All he could think of was her. He could see the way she smiled at him last night, the way she promised nothing had happened.

She didn't tell him.

* * *

 **Author's Notes** : Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sasuke. This is exactly why you don't break promises.

This will be the last super-quick update, I'm afraid. Grad school is starting back up, and I have a full credit load. For those of you who are also going back to school, I hope you have a wonderful semester!

I hope to return soon!


End file.
